


KFP Megathread

by lightningstormtc



Category: Hololive, Virtual Streamer Animated Characters
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, BAMF Kiara, F/F, Fluff, Slice of Life, kfp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-20 11:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 190,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningstormtc/pseuds/lightningstormtc
Summary: Ryan Shade was normal person who was hired to work at a new KFP location where the CEO Takanashi Kiara herself will be working at. It is a rather small location, but for some reason, none of the customers are normal humans. Read along and find out how he interacts with different people from the Hololive Production and how this changes him as a person.This is where you can find all the completed parts gather so it will be easier for you to read. Thank you all so much for supporting me this long and I hope you enjoy KFP.
Relationships: AZKi (Hololive)/Tokino Sora, Gawr Gura/Watson Amelia (hololive), Hoshimachi Suisei/Original Male Character(s), Houshou Marine/Uruha Rushia, Inugami Korone/Nekomata Okayu, Kureiji Ollie/Original Female Character(s), Momosuzu Nene/Ninomae Ina'nis/Omaru Polka, Mori Calliope/Takanashi Kiara, Ookami Mio/Shirakami Fubuki, Sakura Miko/Usada Pekora, Shiranui Flare/Shirogane Noel, Shishiro Botan/Yukihana Lamy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11
Collections: KFP Verse





	1. KFP

**Day 1: Culture Shock**

Ryan awoke to the permeating sound of his alarm. He gropes around the nightstand before eventually slamming the alarm clock. He contemplated going back to bed before sighing. “Why did they give me the opening shift on my first day?” He slipped out of bed before dressing up in his standard clothing. Black hoodie and black pants. He didn’t even bother to put on a shirt. He would be getting his uniform later today anyways. Ryan scratched the back of his head, looking at the door. This was his first job since graduating high school. After that, he decided to sit around and be a NEET for a year, but after his parents decided to stop supporting his unhealthy habits, he had no choice but to get a job. As any freshly minted 18-year-old, he decided to start with working at an international fast-food restaurant joint. He applied for a few, but most of them denied him. The only one that did accept him was KFP, otherwise known as Kiara Fried Phoenix. His acceptance thoroughly surprised him, considering that despite the painfully average (if not below average) pay, they had amazing benefits. Considering his luck, those healthcare benefits would definitely come in handy.

Ryan opened the door to his apartment, typing in the address on his phone. For some reason, instead of being hired at the one he applied to, he was transferred to one that was just opening. Apparently, they were understaffed for the grand opening, so in their infinite wisdom, they decided to get someone with absolutely no training at all whatsoever to go help out. He sighed to himself, resigning to his fate. He was probably screwed one way or another. _Might as well get paid, though,_ Ryan thought to himself as he exited the complex.

He followed the GPS and took a few turns before stopping. This couldn’t be right. The GPS told him to go through a back alley. Why would a fast-food restaurant be through a back alley? He looked at his phone to see if there were any alternate routes, but when he refreshed the page, it seems that the alley was the only way. He sighed, walking into the alley. If he missed his first way of work, he’d probably never live it down. The alley was surprisingly clean and empty. No side doors, no heaps of trash, no dumpsters. He continued to walk for a couple minutes before stumbling. Suddenly, he started to feel dizzy. He massaged his temples and closed his eyes before looking up again. There it was. A generic looking KFP resided at the other side of the valley. Ryan stepped through the clearing and examined the restaurant. The first thing he noticed that there was no parking lot. How did they expect to get money when they made this location so far out of the way? He sighed and walked over to the entrance, nudging the doors. Great, it was closed. He looked at his phone. 6:04 am. Great. What kind of manager was late to the grand opening?

“KEKIRIKI!” A loud voice made Ryan all but comically jump ten feet in the air.

“Who the-“ Ryan turned around, ready to tell off the person who startled him, but stopped when he realized who was facing him. “Takanashi-sanchou?!”

He expected some cranky manager, not the CEO of KFP herself. Takanashi Kiara became a worldwide sensation practically overnight. She was able to sell fried chicken at low prices and higher quality than any of her competitors, instantly becoming a hit. Over the past year and a half, she erected locations throughout the globe, even purchasing out companies that didn’t specialize in fast food. She owned her own video game company, TV network, music brand, and even hosted a talk show. Her appearance only succeeded in mystifying Ryan even more. Why would the CEO herself show up at some random joint in the middle of nowhere?

“You’re Ryan Shade right?” Kiara asked. Ryan nodded his head. “Ah, nice to meet you! You can call me Tenchou while you’re here.”

“Okay, Tenchou,” Ryan replied. He was still thoroughly shellshocked, but he decided to act calm. He’s never had a job before and as a result, doesn’t know what would be acceptable or unacceptable to say. He reasons that he has a right to be shocked but decided to play it safe. “It seems the manager has yet to show up, so I don’t have a way to get into the building. I don’t have a key, so I can’t open up myself.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Kiara took out a keychain and fiddled with it for a couple seconds. As she found the right one, Ryan stepped out of the way from the door, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets to hide his shaking hands. “I’m going to be the manager for this one!”

“W-wait really?!” Ryan exclaimed, losing his cool demeanor.

“This one will be…” Kiara put a finger on her chin and looked up, seemingly fishing for the right word. “Special.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan muttered under his breath. If Kiara heard him, she didn’t acknowledge it. She opened the door, gesturing for Ryan to enter. Ryan walked in and looked around. If Ryan was completely honest, the interior looked a lot more like a bar or a tavern with a fast foot makeover. There were four tables with four chairs each coated in the standard white and orange. The main highlight was the counter. The counter had a row of eight stools across. There were eight little screens in line with the stools which were at most six-by-six inches. Ryan didn’t know why, but for some reason, but he felt that something was different about the counter. He sighed, resolving that he would find out why later.

“I had everything prepared for you in the back already,” Kiara said, gesturing to the door behind the counter. “I’ll open up today. You should get ready. Our first customers will be coming soon.”

Ryan nodded before going over to the door Kiara pointed at and opened the door. The room it led to was a small room with a table identical to the ones out in the restaurant. He looked over to the right of the room to see a counter with a fridge, a water dispenser, and a microwave. He then saw the hanger with one uniform on it. That was weird. Weren’t there more employees? Another thing is that at the time he arrived, he was the only one there. Wouldn’t there be other people there to work as well? He shrugged to himself. He could ask Kiara later. He noted the door to the left that had a sign saying ‘changing room’ and grabbed the uniform, a white shirt with long sleeves, an orange button up vest with a golden name plate showing his name, white pants, and brown shoes and walked into the changing room, taking a deep breath. It was time for work.

-

Ryan noted that the uniform fitted quite well. He never gave his measurements to KFP, so having the uniform fit so well was a little bit weird. Ryan shrugged it off as a coincidence and opened the door back into the restaurant.

“Are you ready, Ryan?” Kiara asked as he opened the door.

“Yes, Tenchou,” Ryan replied, putting up his best impression of a customer service smile, which wasn’t all too good. “If I may ask, where are all the other employees?”

“Oh, we’re the only two here!” Kiara replied happily, as if that wasn’t an abysmal idea.

“Only us two?!” Ryan exclaimed, completely flabbergasted. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Oh, it’ll be fine!” Kiara waved dismissively. “This won’t really be a busy joint. You’ll see why I was reluctant to hire people for this particular place soon.”

“O-okay…” Ryan said nervously. Before he could say anything else, black mist started to form behind one of the stools. As it continued to form, Ryan started to see a person walk out of the black mist. As the person finished walking out of the black mist, it started dissolve. The person was revealed to be a pale, tall woman with long, pink hair. The black dress she had on had two layers, one being that of a normal dress while the other being what looked like a torn robe. As the black mist completely faded, Ryan watched in mounting horror as a scythe revealed itself in the woman’s right hand.

“Holy shit!” Ryan shouted out of instinct.

“Calli!” Kiara shouted, jumping over the counter to tackle the woman in a hug.

“Guh!” The woman now known as Calli grunted as Kiara collided into her. She attempted to push Kiara off her as she tried to nuzzle her. “Get off, Kusotori!”

“Uhhh, should I call the cops or something?” Ryan asked, his finger hovering over the call button on his phone, obviously distressed. He was indeed panicking, but he tried his best not to lose it before he loses his life.

“No, it’s fine,” Kiara detached herself from the tall woman to look at her employee. “Calli’s a friend. You don’t have to worry about her.”

“O-okay…” Ryan said, leaving the cops on speed-dial, just in case. Part of him wanted to call the cops, but something told him that calling them wouldn’t end well. The woman didn’t seem hostile and calling the cops might make things worse.

“Oh, you got someone to work here with you. I’m surprised,” Calli turned to look at Ryan with her crimson eyes. “My name is Calliope Mori. Make sure the bird doesn’t do anything stupid, okay?”

Something clicked in Ryan’s head. He’s heard that name before. He was still relatively new to the rap scene, but Calliope Mori was a name that popped up a lot. Ryan remembered the first time listening to her song, “Cursed Night”. The song really resonated with him, and ever since then, he had been an adamant fan of the musician.

“It’s nice to meet you, Calliope-san,” Ryan bowed respectfully, half out of fear and half out of respect. “I’m a huge fan of your music.”

“You flatter me,” a soft smile formed on Calli’s face before facing Kiara. “I’ll have the usual, please.”

“You got it!” Kiara walked around to the back of the counter and opened a cupboard underneath the counter and took out a bottle of red wine and a wine glass, placing it on the table in front of her. Calli sat down, letting her scythe lean on the counter as she let leaned in, resting her elbows on it.

“When are the others coming?” Calli asked as she poured herself a glass.

“Right about…” Kiara started, mere seconds before the door flew opened. “Now.”

“Heya!” A small girl with while hair, blue eyes, and an oversized shark hoodie shouted enthusiastically. Ryan noticed the tail but decided not to comment on it. Unlike a lot of people, he was a rather progressive person. Magical beings were brought into common knowledge just recently but were poorly received. A majority of people were scared of these magical beings, as magic was something that they were unfamiliar with. Sure, magic is a wonderful and all, but a vast majority of spells had a hard time stopping bullet. Honestly, Ryan didn’t know what the big deal was with all of this. Retaliation from the magical side of things have been exceedingly low, and in his personal opinion, cat girls deserve pets rather than death. “What’s up?!”

“Oh, hey, you managed to drag someone into this mess,” a small girl with short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a terribly smug smile fixated on Ryan. She wore a detective’s cap, a white dress shirt, a brown trench coat, and a red tie. Ryan recognized her immediately. Amelia Watson was a pro gamer that had taken the industry by storm. She won 15 world championships back-to-back for an FPS that Ryan didn’t care to remember. “You have your mom’s number, kid?”

“Uhh…” Ryan shuffled nervously.

“Ame~,” The small girl whined, who Ryan will refer to as Shark Girl until he gets her name. “What did I tell you about ground pounding people’s moms?”

“I can’t resist, Gura,” Amelia giggled at the small girl. Ryan noted that her laugh was akin to that of a gremlin that Ryan would normally see in bad TV shows.

A third girl bounded over to Ryan and offered her hand. “Hi! I’m Ina! It’s nice to meet you!” The only thing Ryan didn’t find absolutely adorable about the purple haired girl was the multiple gigantic tentacles jutting out of her back. “What’s your name?”

“M-my name’s Ryan,” Ryan shook her hand, trying his best not to be freaked out. Between the scythe, shark tail, and the eldritch tentacles, Ryan was thoroughly shocked. His mind was racing. At that point, he remembered something during his interview. One of the questions referred to serving magical beings. A lot of places had them on their application. Ryan of course said yes, even though a lot of places would deduct points off for saying yes, calling those people sympathizers. Ryan personally was thoroughly disgusted by how people treated magical beings. They were still sentient beings too. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”

“Nice to meet you!” The one known as Gura bounded over, Amelia following close behind. They all took their seats next to each other and the small screens by their seats flared to flared to life, showing a cartoon model of they as well as their names on the side behind the counter.

“What can I get all of you?” Ryan asked, putting on a customer service smile. Despite receiving no training, he wanted to try and help somehow.

“Nothing for now, but can I ask you to take this?” Amelia reached into the inside of her coat and took out a syringe. “It’s safe, I promise.”

“Ame, no poisoning my employees,” Kiara said sternly, confiscating the syringe before Ryan can react. “Don’t worry about their orders. I already know what they want. You should get to know these people while I prepare their orders.”

Ryan sighed as his only chance of survival left to go cook. He felt like he should be back there, learning how to operate the friers and such, but he wasn’t the boss.

“So, Ryan,” Calli caught his attention. “Why did you get this job? I’m sure you were aware that this was going to be a magic-only establishment and I don’t sense any magic energy from you.”

“Actually, I wasn’t aware about that,” Ryan sighed. He really should have been warned. Kiara seemed to be really bad at this, but he decided to let it slide for now. It’s not like he could quit or anything. He didn’t have a backup plan, so he was stuck with this. “But what can you do? I don’t really mind, anyways.”

“That’s new,” Amelia said, her smug smile turning a bit softer. “A lot of us have to hide our identities to make a living here.”

“You’re a magical being?” Ryan asked, confused.

“I’m a mage. You can blame this right here,” she pointed to the clock she wore around her neck. “This thing put me through quite the trip.”

“I’m still mad about that,” Gura pouted.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you for four thousand years!” Amelia shot at the shark girl. “I’m sorry I’m not immortal like _some_ people!”

“I’m not immortal!” Gura shot back, causing Calli to facepalm.

“Excuse me,” Ryan looked at the two bickering girls. “But what the hell?”

“Assuming you survive this job, I’m sure we’ll tell you eventually,” Amelia smirked at the employee.

“I’m really not liking my odds here,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Don’t worry, you’re not scheduled for a while,” Calli said, a tablet appearing in a black mist.

“What’s that?” Ryan asked, curiously.

“Calli’s death,” Ina replied bluntly.

“What?” Ryan asked. “You know what? I’m not even going to ask.”

“Probably a smart idea,” Kiara said, bringing out a tray of food from the back. She placed the food, a cut of grilled fish and a bowl of rice for Gura, tacos for Ina, a bag of salt for Amelia, and more wine for Calli.

“Not funny,” Amelia deadpanned, though Gura was laughing hysterically.

“Can we taco bout this?” Ina asked, causing Ryan to facepalm. Eldritch horror aside, that joke sounded like something he would have said, and that wasn’t really a good sign.

“Are you really sure more wine is a good idea?” Ryan asked Kiara.

“It’s fine,” Kiara replied. “Drunk Calli is so cute!”

“I’m not drinking for your amusement,” Calli glared at Kiara.

“Thank you for the food!” Gura clasped her hands together before getting a pair of chopsticks and digging in.

“Check in, everyone!” Kiara smiled at the four people on her counter. Ryan knew that they knew each other, so he decided not to say anything.

“Finally off those scythe swinging classes,” Calli said, finishing another glass of wine. “I have a lot more time to stream and make music.”

“You stream?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty fun,” Calli replied.

“I just opened art commissions,” Ina took a bite out of her taco. “I’ve been pretty flooded recently.”

“PeroPero just asked me to do a crossover!” Gura cheered, her mouth full of food.

“That’s great!” Kiara cheered, patting Gura’s head. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m off to ground pound Ryan’s mom,” Amelia chuckled to herself.

“I would prefer if you didn’t,” Ryan mumbled.

“Yeah, Ame,” Kiara shot at the pro gamer. “Stop ground pounding my employees’ moms.”

“Fine, fine,” Amelia put the salt inside her trench coat. “Anyways, I should probably show up at the agency soon. My boss would have my head if I came late again.”

“Thank you for the meal!” Gura put the empty bowl back down. “I’m going to head out too!”

“I have a stream in thirty minutes,” Calli put down her empty wine glass. “It was nice meeting you, Ryan.”

“I need to get back to work too,” Ina smiled at Ryan. “It was nice meeting you, Ryan.”

“Nice meeting you too,” Ryan waved awkwardly as they left one at a time. “Wait, they didn’t pay, did they?”

“Don’t worry!” Kiara slapped Ryan’s back. “They’ll pay me eventually.”

“That’s not reassuring,” Ryan grumbled. “Anyways, that was an eventful day.”

“Day?” Kiara asked confused. “It’s only 7 am.”

“What.” Ryan looked at Kiara with pure shock.

“It’s time for training!” Kiara shot her fist in the air. Ryan groaned. This was going to be a long day.

-

**Day 2: Mother and Daughter**

Ryan threw himself on his bed. The past eight hours have been the most tiring hours of his life. Despite Kiara’s yelling and having expectations that were _clearly_ beyond that of human expectations, he actually had a lot of fun. Although Kiara tended to shout a lot, Ryan knew she was doing so in good faith. Ryan was surprised how down to earth and transparent the billionaire was. She reminded him of… _Damn it, why do I always go back to that?_ Ryan knocked his head a couple times, trying to perish the thought. _Just go to sleep, moron. I probably have work early again tomorrow. Stupid Tenchou, not giving me a schedule._

-

Ryan woke up not to the sound of his alarm, but the sound of a phone ringing. _Great, I guess mom’s going to chew me out now,_ he thought to himself, reaching for his phone. For the past couple months, Ryan’s mom would be the only one who would call him, only to chew him out for his lifestyle. He wasn’t sure how she was going to react to him getting a job. Either she would be really happy or get mad and would insist that he could do better.

It came as a surprise when a random number popped up. It could just be one of those spam calls, but Ryan figured that he should answer anyways. He was an adult now and taking phone calls was part of being an adult. He pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“KIKKERIKI~!” Kiara’s voice came out so loud, Ryan had to move the phone away from his ear.

“Oh, hello Tenchou,” Ryan looked at his phone. “What do you need? It’s like 5 am. Also, how did you get my number?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kiara said cheerfully. “I need you at the site in five. Your training isn’t complete yet.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Ryan asked.

“Nope!” Kiara chirped, popping the p. “Now get your ass over here before I get your ass over here!”

Ryan gaped at the phone as the line went dead before sighing. _This is my life now,_ he thought to himself as he forced himself to get out of bed.

-

“You’ve been doing well,” Kiara said, munching on a fried chicken leg. “I can taste it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan put another set of chicken in the fryer. “I’ve been at this for three hours. How are you able to eat all of the chicken I’m making?”

“I’m just that good,” Kiara winked at her sl- employee, throwing the eaten chicken bone in the trash.

As Ryan started to think of a witty comeback, the doors slammed opened. “Konpeko, konpeko, konpeko!” A short girl with an unusually high-pitched voice and bunny ears barreled through the door. The girl had blue hair with carrots braided into them. She wore a light blue dress with pieces of fluff at the bottom. “Usada Pekora has arrived!”

“Pekora-senpai!” Kiara all but squealed, running over to the counter. Usada Pekora… the name rung a bell in Ryan’s head. He remembered reading an article about Usada Construction back when he was trying to trade stocks for a living instead of getting an actual job. Apparently, sometime six months ago, the stocks for the company almost doubled when the new CEO, Usada Pekora took over the position from her late father.

 _Jeez, why do so many famous people show up here?_ The Ryan from two years ago would have beamed at the opportunity to meet so many celebrities, but the Ryan now is just tired of everything. Sure, it’s still surprising to meet all of these people at a KFP of all places, and frankly, jumping out of his skin in excitement was probably a good thing.

“Ah, if it isn’t Kiara-chan,” a taller woman walked in, not far behind Pekora. Her hair color matched that of Pekora’s flowing all the way down her back. Her yellow eyes matched that of Pekora’s, though hers shone with fondness in experience while Pekora’s were full of excitement and energy. She wore a yellow sundress with an apron, a carrot sewed into the center.

“Hi, Pekomama!” Kiara chirped, closing her eyes and smiling widely. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person!”

Ryan walked out over to the counter, holding a tub of fried chicken. “Hello, my name is Ryan Shade,” he introduced himself. “Would you like this very nice tub of fried chicken?”

“No!” Kiara swiped at the tub of chicken, but Ryan raised the tub out of Kiara’s reach. “Those are mine! Mine!”

“Tenchou, we have customers,” Ryan sighed, already getting used Kiara’s antics. “They take priority.”

Pekora laughed out loud at that. Ryan noted that her laugh was very… unique, but who was he to judge? She was a billionaire and he just recently lost his status as a NEET. “It’s okay-peko,” Pekomama replied. “We’re herbivores. Some carrots would be nice, though.”

“I’ll deal with it!” Kiara offered. “You’ve been working for three hours straight. Take a break and talk with the customers here.”

“Ah, so kind-peko,” Pekomama chuckled to herself.

“I know Kiara-peko-chan,” Pekora said, laughing to herself. “She probably called him in an hour before opening.”

“How did you know?” Ryan asked, genuinely startled. Why did so many people know so may things about him? First his phone number, now his schedule. He doesn’t even know Pekora.

“Kiara-chan is known for pulling things like this-peko,” Pekora replied. “It’s become an inside joke. She cares for her employees but is infamous for giving them overtime and low wages-peko.”

“Those seem to contradict each other,” Ryan deadpanned.

“I heard that!” Kiara’s voice rang from the back room, causing all three of them to burst out laughing.

“So, Ryan, tell me about yourself-peko,” Pekomama said, a gentle smile on her face.

“Oh, I’m nothing special,” Ryan replied, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m just some NEET who finally got off his ass and got a job. I _was_ born in America, but that’s about the only thing interesting about me.”

“You must be special, otherwise Kiara-chan wouldn’t have hired you for this job-peko,” Pekora said, looking into Ryan’s eyes. Even knowing Pekora for only a few minutes, Ryan could tell this was out of character for her. Even Pekomama gave Pekora a confused look.

“What do you mean?” Ryan asked, deciding whether he should be confused, scared, or both.

“That’s enough of that!” Kiara burst through the door with two bowls of boiled carrots, place it in front of the two rabbit girls.

“Tenchou, what is she talking about?” Ryan turned his head to look at his boss. Ryan didn’t know why, but Pekora’s attitude unsettled him. When Pekora was looking into his eyes, he felt exposed. As if his soul was an open book and she was just casually reading it.

Kiara sighed. “You’ll find out eventually,” she said. By her expression, Ryan concluded that she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Whatever you say, Tenchou,” Ryan grumbled. He really wanted to trust his boss, but already keeping secrets was kind of a red flag.

“You seem like a very kind young man-peko,” Pekomama said, trying to lighten up the mood.

“O-oh,” ominous prophetic messages instantly forgotten, Ryan’s face immediately reddened. Even after all these years, he still sucked at taking compliments. Probably because he never received much of them in the first place. “Thank you…”

“It’s just the truth-peko,” Pekomama smiled, putting a hand over her mouth.

“What about me?” Kiara pouted. “I want compliments too!”

“Well, Kiara-chan, you are very cute-peko,” Pekomama even put a hand on Kiara’s head, rubbing it a little, causing Kiara to giggle excitedly as a response. For some reason, Ryan felt a twinge of jealousy. He suppressed on the thought of a billionaire CEO acting like a lost puppy begging for pats.

At that moment, Ryan shuddered. He felt as if being watched. He looked over at Kiara, who seemed to be looking at the door, her eyes wild with fear. Ryan honestly wondered what could scare her, considering the giant scythe and the eldritch tentacles from the day before failing to even faze her. She followed her eyes to see a girl with long, purple hair and a gaze that could kill a dragon piercing Kiara with her eyes. She slowly entered the room, extending her arm to her side diagonally. A white light started to glow as a rapier formed into her grip. As the light faded into a powerful blue aura surrounding the blade, she pointed it at Kiara. “She’s mine.”

Kiara took the badge from her shirt and the little badge on her belt and held them in front of her. One of the badges blazed to life, creating a plasma sword that was shaped like a lance if it was a bladed weapon rather than a cone. The other formed into a shield, the few solid parts being weaved together with energy. “Don’t take my senpai away from me!”

Ryan turned to Pekora and Pekomama. While Pekomama looked thoroughly distressed, Pekora didn’t do much other than nervously laugh. “Well would you look at the time-peko!” Pekora grabbed her mother’s arm and snapped her fingers, a blinding blue light shining throughout the establishment. Ryan averted his eyes, and by the time he looked back, Pekora and Pekomama were gone.

“You’re safe for now,” The purple haired girl growled at Kiara. “But believe me, I will be eating fried chicken tonight.”

“If so, please remember that we are selling our Phoenix Fire Chicken combo for only 850 yen!” Ryan said, putting on his best customer service voice. What the hell was he doing? The crazy girl had a sword! He was going to die because he made some cheeky joke to a psychopath.

 _Oh well,_ Ryan resided to his fate. _If I go out, I might as well go out laughing._

The crazy girl just gave Ryan a look before turning around and stalking off, weapon in hand. Ryan gave a deep sigh of relief as she faded from view. Kiara, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

“Jeez, kid! You have spunk!” Kiara said between laughs, slapping Ryan on the back.

“Don’t call me a kid,” Ryan grumbled. “You look younger than me.”

“I’m much older than I look,” Kiara said matter-of-factly. “Plus, you shouldn’t bring up a woman’s age, ya know? You’re never going to get a girlfriend like that.”

“I don’t even want a-“ Ryan cut himself off when he realized who he was talking to. “Oh crap.”

“That’s two hours of overtime for you!”

-

Ryan forced himself to take another step. The bed was only three feet away. He could do this. He crouched, as if preparing to hunt a piece of prey before lunging towards the bed. Of course, he didn’t end up lunging. What he did was more akin to stumbling and tripping onto the bed.

“Finally,” Ryan groaned as his muscles seared in pain. “I can sleep.”

As if the universe was trying to play some sort of sick joke on him, Ryan heard a knock on the door at that very moment.

“Ugh, death take me now,” Ryan grumbled. Meanwhile, a pink-haired reaper cringed.

He stumbled over to the door and opened it. “Man, can this wait until tomorrow?” He said before looking at the person at the door. To his surprised, it was a man fully armed in SWAT gear. What the hell did the police want with him? He certainly wasn’t dangerous enough to warrant a SWAT team.

“Hello, I am from the Magical International Liberation Foundation, otherwise known as MILF,” the man said. Ryan had to remind himself the man had an automatic rifle when he said the abbreviation. “We have reason to believe that you have made contact with a large number of magical beings. Is this true? And if so, would you happen to know their location?”

What. The. Hell. First the phone number, then the schedule, now this. Fool him once, shame on you. Fool him twice, shame on him. Fool him three times, and he was growing tired of this stuff _real_ quick. He then thought of the repercussions of his next action. These guys were probably with the United Nations. The United Nations wanted to eradicate magical beings to return to the status quo.

Ryan remembered the past two days. They had been exceedingly weird, definitely life threatening, and had been more work that Ryan had ever put in his life. Despite that, he remembered everyone that had come in. Gura’s innocent smile, Ame’s constant desire to “ground pound” his mom (whatever that meant), Calli’s antics, Ina’s bad jokes, Pekora’s quirky laugh, Pekomama’s gentle smile, and Kiara. Kiara had given Ryan a chance when most of society would scoff at him. Most of society did. Even his parents didn’t really like him, but yet he found peace at his new job. Well, as peaceful as having his life threatened at least once a day. _Ah, sod it,_ he thought.

“Sir, this is a KFP drive-thru,” Ryan deadpanned. Again, if he was going to go out, he was going to go out laughing.

“I guess that is a no,” the man said. Ryan gave him a nod. “I see, thank you for your cooperation.”

The man closed the door and Ryan sighed again with relief as he heard the footsteps fade. This probably wasn’t good. He needed to warn Kiara, but first, he needed rest. Today had been a hell of a day.

-

**Day 3: Cats and Dogs**

“KIKKERIRIII~” Ryan resisted the urge to groan. The first time Kiara called him at five in the morning it was nice. He missed human interaction. Kiara was human, right? Regardless, if this continued, Ryan really needed to work on his sleep schedule.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan tried to keep the kindest voice he could early in the morning, which was a frustrated grumble.

“I’m going to be busy, so I’m opening up at 8, so you can sleep in!” Kiara chirped, ignoring Ryan’s frustrated tone.

“So, you called me at five in the morning to tell me I can sleep in,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Yep!” Ryan facefaulted onto the bed as the line went dead. This was going to be a good day.

-

Ryan walked down the street, an irritated look on his face. He wasn’t able to get a wink of sleep in those few hours. As soon as Kiara hung up, Ryan remembered the interaction he had the night before. He looked at his phone, the screen showing a contact name. “Sabrina Godson” it said.

As Ryan considered calling the number, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a girl with long, purple twin tails and a black cap. He had enough reason to be wary of yet another purple haired girl, considering the last one almost killed him, but he decided it would be rude to ignore her. “Did you need something, miss?”

“Uh…” the girl looked down before holding out a wallet. “Y-you dropped this!”

Ryan looked at the wallet before realizing it actually was his. His irritated expression softened. “Thank you,” he smiled at the girl. “Most people would have stolen it. You’re really nice, you know that?”

“No way I’m nice!” The girl pouted cutely, puffing out her cheeks. “I’m a-“

She stopped herself, causing Ryan to look at her. “I’m a prankster! Bye!” She shouted, running off. Ryan stood therefore a second, processing the whole event before checking his wallet. It was entirely possible that she could have stolen money. He counted the cash before realizing that he had about 2000 yen more than he brought along with him that day.

 _No way I’m nice she says,_ He chuckled to himself before walking off to work.

-

Towa stomped off back to her apartment complex. That kid had the _audacity_ to call her nice when she pranked him! She grumbled profanities, or the closest she would ever get to profanities as she opened the door. She needed to blow off some steam. She gently closed the door before walking over to her computer. No need to wake up the neighbors, even if she’s angry. As she turned it on, her phone started to ring. She looked at the phone before instantly accepting the call.

“Watame-san?” She asked, putting the phone to her ear.

“Towa-sama!” Watame said cheerily through the phone. “Did you hear? Kiara-chan opened a place where we all can come hang out.”

“Really?” Towa asked. It’s been a couple months since the two girls have met up in person. Off collabs were hard considering the fact that magical beings were actively being hunted by the government. A discreet way to meet up and hang out would be really nice.

“Luna-chan and I are going tomorrow,” Watame continued. “Do you want to join us?”

“Sure!” Towa chirped. “I’ll see you then.”

When Watame cut the line, she smiled. She wasn’t that mad anymore. _I’m feeling gracious,_ the demon logged into her computer. Maybe a surprise stream? Yes, her fans would like that.

-

“TOWA-SAMA!” Ryan had to cover his ears as he entered the restaurant. Of course, Kiara was at it again. She was sitting on the counter, hunched over her phone, seemingly watching something.

“Hey, Tenchou,” Ryan walked over, intending to take a look at what she was screaming over. “What’s that?”

“Towa-sama graced us with a surprise karaoke,” Kiara swooned, causing Ryan to facepalm. “Come on! Let’s watch!” She grabbed Ryan’s arm as he approached and pulled him over to her. He took one look at the phone and realized who it was.

“Eh, it’s her?!” Ryan jumped a little in shock. Surely, she looked identical to the girl he met earlier, but now she looked like an anime girl.

“You met Towa-sama?” Kiara looked up from her phone as Towa’s voice rang throughout the room.

“She picked up my wallet earlier today and gave it back to me with 2000 extra yen,” Ryan explained.

“She probably pickpocketed you and put the money in,” Kiara replied, her smile growing soft. “She thinks doing that kind of stuff counts as pranks.”

“Huh,” Ryan rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “She sounds like a really nice person.”

“She was so nice she got kicked out of hell,” Kiara informed.

As Ryan was going to open his mouth, but the doors slammed open. “Yubi yubi!” A brown hair dog girl ran in, a huge smile on her face. As a certified weeb, Ryan had a soft spot for cat girls and dog girls, so naturally, his heart melted. It took everything for Ryan not to run over and give her a couple pats.

“Oh, Korone-senpai!” Kiara waved over the dog girl. “Towa-sama is doing a karaoke stream. Come watch with us!”

“Tenchou, we’re supposed to be working,” Ryan reminded her. “You should probably put away your phone.”

“No! Towa-sama is more important than work!” Kiara protested, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.

“Moring, Kiara-san,” Ryan was too focused on scolding his manager to notice the purple haired cat girl walking in the restaurant.

“Morning, Okayu-senpai!” Kiara smiled widely as the two girls took their seats.

A cat girl _and_ a cat girl? At that point, Ryan’s professionalism snapped. “Hello, my name is Ryan Shade,” he introduced himself. “I’m sorry if this may seem weird, but can I give you two some pats?”

Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t see the shock and horror on Kiara’s face as Korone opened her mouth. As Korone started to speak, Okayu was the one to cut in, a devilish smirk on her face. “Of course you can!” she said, her smile turning brighter. “I’m sure Koro-san is really craving pets right now.”

“Yubi yubi!” Korone flashed an irresistible smile.

“T-that means pets,” Okayu said.

 _Well, if she says so,_ Ryan moved his hand to Korone’s head, ignoring all reason. By reason, he means Kiara screaming at him in the background. As soon as he placed his hand on Korone’s head, a bright blue light enveloped the room, causing Ryan to avert his eyes with his hands.

When the light faded, Ryan opened his eyes and gasped. All ten of his fingers were gone. “WHAT THE HELL?!” He screamed before realizing something exceedingly weird. “Wait, I don’t feel any pain.”

“Your yubis are mine!” Korone chirped while opening her hands. All of Ryan’s fingers were there, a blue light covering the part where they cut off. “Don’t worry, I’ll give them back to you later.”

Ryan looked at Kiara, as if expecting an explanation. “I guess I’ll prepare their meals, then,” she sighed. “You can’t really cook without your fingers.”

He then turned to Okayu, who was obviously trying to ignore him. “Wow, Koro-san,” she looked at the dog, who was now playing with Ryan’s fingers. “You really got that space-time magic under control.”

“Yup!” Korone smiled at her companion. “I had to practice a lot!”

Ryan shuddered for some reason. The dog girl was adorable, but the stealing of fingers was… kind of morbid. “Excuse me,” he said, clearing his throat to get the attention of the two girls. “May I take your order?”

“Yubis!” Korone chirped, holding out a handful of Ryan’s fingers, causing him to shudder. Shoving Ryan’s own severed fingers in front of him while taking her order to eat only succeeded in unnerving Ryan more.

“I’ll have some fish,” Okayu said. “Koro-san, it’s rude to shove things in people’s faces.”

“Oh!” Korone lowered her head, as if shoving the fingers in Ryan’s face was more of a crime than stealing them in the first place. “I’m sorry!”

“Uh…” Ryan looked at Kiara, who shot him a glare before walking off to prepare the food. He looked back at Korone. “It’s okay..?”

“Yay!” Korone threw both of her hands in the air in celebration, Ryan’s fingers still in her hands.

Ryan looked at Okayu. “Is this normal?”

Okayu nodded. “Koro-san is… really eccentric,” she looked fondly at the dog girl.

“I see,” Ryan said, looking at his fingerless hands.

“Most people look at dog girls and cat girls with disgust,” Ryan looked up to see Okayu looking at him, as if she was trying to read him. “We’re faring better than other magical creatures, but still.”

Ryan sighed, knowing what she was implying. He really did hate how divided the magical and non-magical community. “I don’t know if there’s something about being productive during the coming out, but I didn’t really don’t mind all of you,” Ryan was actually a NEET when magical communities tried to integrate themselves, and for some reason, he is the only person he knows that doesn’t really mind them. “As long as I they don’t set me on fire with their minds or wring me for blood or something, I’m fine with them.”

“I see,” Okayu nodded. “Kiara-san really picked a special one.”

“What’s all with this special stuff?” Ryan threw his hands up in exasperation. “Tenchou refuses to tell me anything about it and Usada-san told me the same thing yesterday!”

“You are special,” Korone said in broken English as s pointed at Ryan with his own finger.

“You’ll find out eventually,” Okayu said as Kiara came back with a plate of sashimi and some roasted human fingers.

“Where the heck did you get the fingers?” Ryan asked her as she set the plates down.

“Magic,” Kiara replied, as if it answered everything

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled when something popped in his head. “Hey, Tenchou. The MILF stopped by yesterday.”

“Oh, them?” Kiara looked at him, concerned, before smiling, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay…” Ryan said, shuffling uncomfortably.

“Thank you for the food!” Okayu smiled. Ryan’s eyes widened in shock as he realized both Korone and Okayu already cleaned their plates.

“Thank you for coming!” Kiara chirped as they left.

“This is the third time someone has left without pay,” Ryan sighed.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still get paid,” Kiara said as she walked towards the break room.

“That’s not the problem,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head when he realized his fingers were returned. “Do you guys think _all_ humans are that shallow?”

-

Jerry was walking home from a KFP with some fried chicken in his hands. Being a member of MILF’s elite forces was very taxing and he was ready for a day off. He sighed as he turned the door handle to his apartment and opened the door. When a tall, pink haired woman with a scythe revealed herself to be inside Jerry’s apartment, Jerry pulled out the pistol he always kept on him and fire.

“Guh,” the woman deadpanned as the bullet passed right through her stomach, leaving a black mist in her wake.

“Who the hell are you?!” Jerry shouted, unloading his clip in distress.

“You know, I’m doing you a favor,” the girl sighed, spinning her scythe. Jerry watched in intrigue as it went through his furniture, leaving all of it uncut. “The stupid bird would do something way worse to you for threatening her employees.”

Jerry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off when a blade of darkness came from her scythe, the blade flying straight through his neck.

The woman sighed as Jerry’s head fell to the floor. “You owe me for this, Kusotori.”

-

Ryan sighed as he laid on his bed. He loved working at KFP, but he missed the sense of normalcy. He looked at the contact on his phone. Should he call her? He sighed. “Well, might as well. Live today like a killer sheep will carve your heart out tomorrow. He pressed the button. After a few seconds, the call went to voicemail.

“Hey, Sabrina,” he said to the phone, sighing. “It’s been a year since I left, huh? I just wanted to call in to see how you’ve been. I got a job, you know. It’s been really interesting. I know you don’t mind these magical beings and all. You were nice to a freak like me. They’re really kind to me. My boss seems to be human, but I don’t really know. All the customers haven’t been human, though. They’re all really weird, but they’ve been good to me. Even the girl who stole my fingers,” Ryan chuckled a little bit at that. “Apparently she worked really hard to make the spell painless. They treated me better than any human has. Other than you, of course. Anyways, I know we didn’t leave on the right terms, but I miss you. Anyways, please call me back if you can. Or, if you want to, I guess. Bye, Sabrina.”

He hung up the phone before putting his arm over his eyes. He took a deep, shaky breath as a tear ran down his cheek. “God, what do I do?”

-

**Day 4: The Day Off**

The phone, yet again, woke up Ryan. Today was Saturday, so Ryan was sleeping in. Hope flashed in his eyes. Was Sabrina calling him back? He grabbed the phone and looked at it, but it wasn’t Sabrina’s contact. His shoulders slumped, but he accepted the call anyways.

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara shouted through the phone.

“What do you want?” Ryan growled through the phone. After a couple seconds of silence, Ryan realized that he might have been too aggressive. Despite the phone calls, Kiara didn’t really do anything to warrant such a reaction. Other than keeping secrets from him, but “special” could really mean everything. Perhaps it could have been an inside joke. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“You alright?” Kiara asked. Ryan didn’t miss the genuine worry coming through her voice, which only succeeded in making him feel worse.

“Yeah, I’m alright, I just didn’t sleep well,” Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t exactly wrong. Ryan has been a card-carrying insomniac for a couple years now. He’s been trying to fix his sleep schedule, but instead of sleeping, he would often stay up at night with his thoughts when trying to sleep. With Ryan, that wasn’t healthy at all. “What did you need?”

“Hey, why don’t you come down to the restaurant,” Kiara replied. Ryan was going to say something, but Kiara continued. “You don’t have to work today, but maybe spending time with others might get your mind off things.”

“That,” Ryan was going to reject her offer, but thought about it. He spent the better part of a whole year alone. More often than not, he was wallowing in his own thoughts and demons. He hates to admit it, but the past few days have been the happiest he’s been in month. Despite the secrecy, people telling him that he was special made him feel good. He felt valued. Maybe spending time at the KFP would be a good idea. “Would be nice. I’ll be there in a few.”

“Alright! I’ll prepare you some food!” Kiara chirped, cutting the line before Ryan could say anything in protest. He sighed, forcing himself out of bed.

-

Meanwhile, somewhere in America, a girl no older than seventeen or eighteen stood over several piles of ash. She felt her phone vibrate and sighed, cancelling the fire spell placed on her hand before grabbing the phone in her back pocket. She looked at the phone. “One missed call: Edhas”.

She smiled.

-

“RUSHIA IS BOING BOING!” Ryan had to cover his ears as he entered the restaurant. He looked over to the counter and saw Kiara laughing joyously, Calli, a short, green-haired girl who was continuing her tirade, and a red-haired girl who Ryan swore had stiches on her skin.

“Morning,” Ryan walked over and sat next to Calli and sighed.

“Oh! I didn’t know the Holostars idols came here too!” The red-haired chirped. Ryan looked at the girl, confused. She had an eyepatch over her left eye and faded makeup on her face, reveal stitched, rotten flesh. Ryan pretended not to be disturbed by the sword that was stabbed through her temples, but that definitely wasn’t the case.

“What’s Holostars?” Ryan asked, confused. “I just work here. I’m on my day off.”

“Nah, they all hang out at Roberu’s bar,” Kiara got a tub of KFP Birb Legs and placed it in front of Ryan. “I mean, they’re welcome here, but I don’t know if they know about this place.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Ryan grumbled.

“Oh, can Tamaki-kun come?” The green-haired girl asked. Ryan looked over to see a small girl with short, green hair tied up in two buns. For some reason, her crimson eyes unnerved him. His instincts told him to run away before she ruthlessly slaughtered him, but he promised Kiara he would stay here and frankly, the crushing sense of guilt that he unnecessarily puts on himself would hurt far more than death.

“I’ll consider it,” Kiara said. “As long as you don’t kill anyone again.”

“Watame-san respawned!” The green-haired girl protested. “And she was asking for it! No one gets to look at Tamaki-kun like that except me!”

“You can kill me, Rushia-senpai~” The red-haired girl swooned, closing her eyes and putting her hands on her cheeks as she swayed side to side.

“Ollie,” Calli groaned, reaching over to swat the Ollie zombie on the back of the head. “Sensei jumped through many hoops to let you stay here. Stop trying to sacrifice your life to simp.”

“But Calli-senpai~” Ollie whined. “I’m immortal!”

“No, you’re not,” Callie facepalmed.

Ryan looked at Kiara pleadingly who just giggled. “Rushia-senpai, Ollie-chan, you haven’t introduced yourself to my little egg yet.”

“Little egg?” Ryan shot Kiara a look, but she ignored him, pouring another glass for Calli.

“Oh!” Ollie hit her forehead with her palm, looking shocked before looking at Ryan, a bright smile on her face. “Nice to meet you! I’m the world’s number one zombie idol Kurrrreiji Ollie!”

“Oh, hello!” Rushia lowered her head in greeting. “My name is Uruha Rushia the super sexy boing boing necromancer!”

“Uh…” Ryan thought about correcting her, but those crimson eyes of hers made him considered otherwise. “Sure…”

“See?!” Rushia shot her head up and whirled towards Kiara, jutting a finger at Ryan. “He gets it!”

“Uh…” Ryan looked around uncomfortably.

“Rushia-senpai, he hasn’t introduced himself,” Kiara chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

“Oh!” It was Rushia’s turn to hit her forehead with her palm. “I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. He was rapidly getting used to these kinds of things. “I’m Ryan Shade. I’m an employee here. I would say I’m nothing special, but someone,” he shot a look at Kiara, “tends to disagree.”

“I’m sorry,” Kiara looked down, looking genuinely ashamed. “I’m not allowed to tell.”

Ryan sighed, as he saw Calli shuffled nervously. “It’s okay,” he smiled. “Secrets aside, you are still my best friend. Even if we’ve only known each other for a few days.”

“Really?!” Kiara’s eyes shot up before diving over the counter, tackling Ryan in a hug. “Thank you!”

Ryan was about to say something when he felt a murderous gaze on him. He started to sweat as he saw Calli giving him a death glare, her hand inching dangerously towards her scythe. “Uh Tenchou?” He gently nudged his boss. “I think Calliope-san will kill me if you don’t get off.”

“Calli you _do_ love me!” She instantly did a 180 and tried to tackle Calli but ended up colliding with her outstretched palm.

“Guh!” Calli’s murderous gaze softened, despite the murderous hint in her voice. “Get the f-word off, Kusotori!”

“But Calli~” Kiara whined, making a smoochy face.

“Tenchou, you’re still on the clock,” Ryan sighed.

“Oh!” Kiara jumped over the counter and smiled at Ryan. “Thanks for reminding me!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan waved his hand again.

“Hey, Ryan,” Rushia tugged at his hoodie, catching his attention. “Do you love me?”

“Wha?” Ryan looked at her, confused. “Where did this come from?”

“Rushia-senpai~!” Ollie cried, crocodile tears pouring from her eyes. “I love you~! Why are you giving him all the attention~?”

“Do you?” Rushia asked sweetly, looking up at Ryan.

“Um…” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, thinking of a response. “I’m not looking for something like that right now…”

“Really?” Rushia’s gaze instantly changed. The light in her eyes faded as her smile turned psychotic. “Are you sure about that?”

Ryan looked towards Kiara, who sighed and shrugged. “Can’t help you here, little egg.”

“Don’t call me that!” Ryan momentarily forgot the situation he was in when those two words came out of the CEO’s mouth.

“Why are you talking to other girls, Ryan-kun?” Rushia said, her voice shaking. Ryan never liked having suffixes attached to his name. As someone who was born in America, suffixes sounded weird with his name. “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

“Rushia-senpai,” Ryan’s new guardian angel, Calli pulled Rushia off of the KFP employee. “What would Tamaki-kun say if he caught you like this?”

“Oh!” The light found its way back into Rushia’s eyes as she looked at Calli. “Thank you! I’m sorry, Ryan-kun!”

“Please, just Ryan,” Ryan held his hand up. “It’s fine. Just don’t kill me in my sleep please.”

“No promises~” Rushia’s eyes turned scary again.

“Rushia-senpai, remember what I said about killing my employees?” Kiara said, karate chopping Rushia’s head as she scolded her like she was a mother scolding her child.

“Don’t do it unless I want to feel the flames that my summons feel,” Rushia droned on as if she was a child forced to recite a moral of a fairy tale.

“I think I should go,” Ryan said, finishing the last of his chicken. He took out his wallet and took out the 2000 yen that Towa had given him the day before. “Keep the change.”

“Bye Ryan!” Kiara called as he stood up to leave. “I’ll call you tomorrow!”

-

As Ryan was walking home, he suddenly felt a shudder down his back. He turned around and saw a man of Asian descent who looked in his mid-thirties or forties. He was never really that good at judging age. They locked eyes for a second before Ryan turned around. Probably just some random person. He opened the door to his apartment complex. Time for a nap.

-

YAGOO turned around as the boy walked into his apartment complex. He sighed. He took out his phone and dialed a number. After three seconds, someone picked up.

“How’s the kid?” The person on the other side asked.

“He’s doing fine. I don’t think we need to worry about him for now,” YAGOO replied.

“And his magic?” The man asked.

“Nonexistent,” YAGOO sighed. “Why are you making me look after this kid? Look, Kiara already took him under her wing. There’s no reason for me to look after him at this point.”

“Trust me,” the person on the other side said. “He’ll become valuable later on.”

“Whatever you say,” YAGOO hung up the phone. That guy… how troublesome. He turned around and walked away. As a gust of wind blew behind him, he was gone.

-

Ryan flopped on the bed before looking at his phone. Maybe he should call Sabrina again. Even if she didn’t pick up, it was good to talk about his day. At least he was venting to someone. As expected, the line went to voicemail after a few seconds.

“Hey, Sabby,” Ryan sighed as the tone rang. “I got the day off today, but I still ended up going to KFP anyways. I met two new people today. Ollie seemed nice if a bit energetic. Rushia totally seems like a yandere. Luckily, Calliope-san was able to divert her attention. I don’t know, but I think Tenchou and Calliope-san are a thing. Calliope-san may act like she doesn’t like Tenchou, but I can see through it. She’s a textbook tsundere. Anyways, Ollie had an eyepatch. I don’t know why, but it reminded me of something. I don’t know what, but something flashed through my head. I don’t expect you to know what it means, but I just wanted to get it out. Anyways, that’s all. Please call back. I miss you.”

-

**Day 5: Friendship**

Ryan wasn’t able to bother with sleep that night. He had spent the night logging his feelings on his computer as a way to vent. Even though he started to befriend the different people who stopped by the KFP and even considered opening up to his boss a little bit, but trust came hard for Ryan. After he finished journaling, he decided to spend the rest of the night gaming and watching YouTube. After a few hours, he checked his phone. 4:45 am. Kiara usually called him at 5 am, so he decided to leave early. As he got ready to leave, he thought back on Kiara’s calling habit. She called him at 5 am, every day. Almost like clockwork, and yesterday’s call proved that she wasn’t using an automated bot to call him. He sighed, dismissing Kiara’s antics as just that as he made another right turn. As he turned, he jumped back, almost running into a tall woman with long, orange hair.

“Woah!” She jumped back as well, her eyes meeting Ryan’s. After a couple seconds of silence, a smile on her face. “Good morning Motherf**er!”

“Uhh,” Ryan wanted to tell her off but was too passive to do so. “Morning?”

“Name’s Kyriu Coco,” The woman smiled, holding out her hand.

“Ryan Shade,” Ryan shook her hand.

“Oh! I have something to do!” Coco’s eyes widened as a lightbulb went off in her head. She dug in her back pocket and pulled out an energy drink, handing it to Ryan. “Please take this!”

Ryan looked at the can. “Asacoco Energy Drink,” he read aloud. He really didn’t want to accept it, but again, was too passive to turn it down. “Thank you.”

“No problem!” She turned around and ran off.

“Huh,” he shrugged. “That was a weird experience.”

-

Ryan had been sitting by the entrance of his place of work, staring at the energy drink. He was debating whether or not to drink it when Kiara came over with her phone out.

“Oh!” She smiled as she saw Ryan. “You’re here early!”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Ryan held the energy drink up, looking at the nutrition facts. “Decided to come here early.”

“Wait,” As Kiara saw the logo on the energy drink, she audibly gasped. “Where did you get your hands on Asacoco? That’s a very dangerous drug, you know?”

“Oh, some woman named Kiryu Coco gave it to me,” Ryan answered casually. After dealing with yandere necromancers and space-time finger-removing magic, getting handed contraband for free wasn’t too surprising anymore. “Wait, this energy drink is a drug?”

“You ran into Kaichou?” Kiara asked, again completely shocked. “She’s currently the head of the yakuza, you know.”

“What,” Ryan looked up to meet Kiara’s eyes. Now that was shocking. Good thing he didn’t cuss her out.

“I’m sure you’ll see her around here soon,” Kiara smiled softly at her employee, moving over to unlock the door.

“Why am I not even surprised anymore?” Ryan grumbled as he tossed the drink in the trash, following Kiara in the store. “Anyways, let’s get to work.”

-

Ryan looked at his phone as he finished buttoning up his vest. The color didn’t really match his hair well. “I need to ask Tenchou for a cap sooner or later,” he said to himself as he cracked his back.

He stepped out to see a fox (cat?) girl already sitting on the counter. Her white hair was tied in a braid on her left side and didn’t go lower than her upper back. She wore what looked to be a navy-blue uniform with a black and blue katana sheathed securely on her hip. At this point, he’s seen enough weapons in this establishment to stop questioning things anymore. “Welcome to KFP,” Ryan walked over to the counter. Kiara seemed to be in the back grilling something, so he might as well talk to the customer. “My name is Ryan Shade. How may I help you?”

“Hi friend!” The fox-cat hybrid chirped happily. “I’m Skirakami Fubuki! Nice to meet you?”

“Nice to meet you too,” Ryan smiled at the girl. “I’m sorry to ask, but are you a fox or a cat? I don’t want to offend anyone.”

“I’m a fox!” Fubuki’s smile instantly turned into an adorable pout. “I’m not a cat!”

“She’s a cat!” Ryan could hear Kiara’s voice from the back room.

“I’ll take your word for it, Shirakami-san,” Ryan said.

“Call me Fubuki,” Fubuki said, her heart-melting smile returning. Ryan wanted to give her pats, but his experience with Korone sufficiently deterred him from trying that.

At that point, Kiara returned with five hamburgers. “Here’s your order, Fubuki-senpai.”

“Thank you, Kiara-chan!” Fubuki took one of the burgers and started to wolf (fox?) it down.

“Hey, Tenchou,” Ryan’s eyes flicked over to his employer. “Why do you keep calling everyone senpai? Just curious.”

Fubuki said something, but Ryan wasn’t able to determine what she was saying through the burgers, in which she had already finished her second one. “I want to wait and see how long it’ll take for you to find out,” Kiara winked at Ryan.

“So it’s a secret,” Ryan grumbled.

“Nope!” Kiara chirped, ever so cheery. “It’s easy to find. I just want to see how long it’ll take for you to find out.”

As Ryan opened his mouth to talk, footsteps could be heard approaching, along with a girl’s voice. “Fubuki, Fubuki, Fubuki, FUBUKI!” A girl with brown hair, aquamarine eyes, and the derpiest expression on her face barged into the establishment, making a b-line towards Fubuki. As the girl jumped to tackle Fubuki, the fox girl expertly dodged her by changing seats one to her right. Kiara grabbed the badge on her belt and let her shield open up just in time for the girl’s face to collide with it with a sickening thud.

“Nice of you to join us, Matsuri-senpai!” Kiara exclaimed as if she didn’t just shield bash the person she was addressing.

“Oh!” Matsuri took a seat, her derpy, slack jawed expression unchanging as if nothing happened. “Hi, Kiara-chan! Who’s this?”

Ryan awkwardly waved as the girl’s attention shifted to him. “Name’s Ryan Shade. I work here, apparently, though I feel like I deserve a raise for getting my fingers stolen.”

“I see you’ve met Korone-chan already,” Matsuri nodded knowingly. “My name is Natsurio Matsuri! By any chance, do you know any lolis?”

“Sorry, I’m not a creep,” Ryan said without a second thought. “Something tells me Tenchou here knows where you can find some, though.”

“Hey!” Kiara puffed her cheeks out at Ryan. “He’s not wrong though…”

“I know that!” Matsuri exclaimed before turning to Fubuki. “Do you know any lolis?”

“Matsuri-san, we know the same people,” Fubuki deadpanned, which somehow still came out as adorable.

“Ah,” Matsuri’s expression became immediately blank. “You’re right.”

Ryan couldn’t help but snicker at this. “What would you like to eat, Natsurio-san?”

“Anything sweet!” Matsuri exclaimed cheerily.

Ryan looked at his boss. “There’s doughnuts in the back,” Kiara said. “Can you bring them out?”

“Doughnuts!” Matsuri squealed.

“There were doughnuts, and you didn’t tell me?” Ryan looked visibly hurt.

“I ordered them for Matsuri-senpai, not you,” Kiara said simply. “If you wanted some, you could have asked.”

Ryan sighed. At least she wasn’t playing favorites as apparently Matsuri had asked for doughnuts beforehand. He trudged along to the back where he saw two boxes of doughnuts sitting there. He gulped down some saliva, forcing his desire to commit petty theft down with it as he grabbed the doughnuts and walked back out, placing the boxes in front of Matsuri. “Here’s your doughnuts.”

“Yay!” Matsuri eagerly opened one of the boxes and started to dig in.

“More burgers!” Fubuki smiled cutely as she extended the empty plate out towards Ryan.

“I guess I’ll make them this time since you made them last time, Tenchou,” Ryan took the plate before smiling at Fubuki. “How many would you like, Fubuki-san?”

“Ten!” Fubuki chirped, her smile only widening.

“TEN?!” Ryan exclaimed. This was going to be a long day.

-

“You should really join me at Fox Burger King,” Fubuki managed as she scarfed down her sixth burger.

“Are you trying to steal my employees, Fubuki-senpai?!” Kiara cried, visibly taken aback.

“Don’t worry,” Ryan chuckled a bit into his hand. “I’m loyal to you, Tenchou.”

“Ryan…” Kiara’s eyes sparkled as she attempted to tackle Ryan into a hug. Already expecting this, he dodged her assault, leaving her to crash onto the floor.

At that moment, a familiar shark girl decided to kick the doors open. “OOCHA!” She exclaimed as the doors flew open. “What’s up, chumbuckets!”

“Ah, good…” Ryan looked at his phone. Damn, it was only 8 am? Well, he had already been there for three hours. “Morning, Gura-san.”

“Hi Fubuki-senpai! Matsuri-senpai! Kiara! Ryan!” Gura took a seat beside Matsuri. “How have your mornings been?”

“Tiring,” Ryan said out of instinct.

“Fun!” Fubuki chirped.

“Good!” Kiara smiled at her friend.

“LOLI!” Matsuri practically screamed. She tried to hug Gura, but the shark girl was quicker. She quickly pivoted to the side before chomping down on Matsuri’s arm.

“Fighting is okay, but we’re not having any assault cases like last time,” Kiara said as Matsuri screamed in pain. Fubuki had taken it upon herself to heal her friend’s wounds, using a sort of white fire to cover the wounds as they started to close in an accelerated rate.

“I don’t even want to know what last time you’re referring to,” Ryan said, his palm already on his face as he shook his head disapprovingly.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Kiara nudged Ryan with her elbow.

“BANANA!” Korone burst through the doors randomly. Ryan, not wanting to invoke the wrath of the yubi-stealing dog, instantly darted to the back and got a small bunch of bananas before putting it on the counter, which Korone appeared in front of faster than anyone can react, swiping the bananas. As soon as she grabbed the fruits, a bright flash enveloped the room, causing everyone to avert their eyes. By the time everyone was able to open their eyes again, the puppy was gone.

“Excuse me,” Ryan held up his hands in confusion, “but what the hell just happened?”

“Don’t ask,” all of the girls said simultaneously. Even Fubuki in her cheery self was able to pull off a completely blank expression.

“What’s up, gamers!” Amelia opened the doors and plopped right next to Gura. “I’ve been looking for you, Gura!”

“Well, ya found me!” Gura shot Amelia a playful look. “What are you gonna do now?”

“I’m going to…” Amelia at that time decided to tackle Gura. “Tickle you!”

“No! Wait!” Gura tried to struggle, but it was too late. Amelia had already found all her ticklish spots. She started laughing hysterically as Amelia started to tickle her, causing everyone to laugh.

Ryan smiled softly at the scene. Ever since he got this job here, things have been going great. It was completely different from America. He had found a home, a job, and most importantly, he found friends.

-

Ryan sat on his bed, smiling fondly as the day flashed through his mind. It had been a good day, no denying that. He decided to call up Sabrina again. He was almost certain that she wouldn’t pick up, but he was in a good mood.

“Hello?” He said as soon as the tone rang, letting Ryan know he could start his voicemail. “Hey, Sabrina. I miss you. You probably blocked my number awhile ago, but I’m still gonna call every day anyways. It’s kind of therapeutic for me, you know? Anyways, I had a good day today. Work doesn’t seem as much like work anymore instead of just a hangout with friends. I’m getting better at talking to people and my anxiety is getting better. I don’t know, but I think taking this job was really good for me. I really do hope you pick up, though. Even though I met all these new people and experienced all these new things, I still miss you. So please, call back.”

As he hung up the phone, he collapsed onto the bed. The call didn’t really kill his mood or anything, but he was still extremely exhausted. He hadn’t slept in almost 48 hours. He closed his eyes as sleep overtook him. He was thankful that he was able to fall asleep easily tonight. Maybe he could sleep soundly.

-

Meanwhile, a brown-haired girl sat on her bed, listening to a voice message on her phone. When she started to listen, a smile instantly formed itself, but as the voicemail continued, her smile started to turn sad. As the voicemail finished, she took off her earphones and sighed wistfully.

“I miss you too,” she said, a sad smile on her face as she looked up at the bulbs lighting up her room.

-

**Day 6: A Day Off (for real this time)**

Ryan had gotten to the point where he wasn’t even phased by the phone call. He even set up the ringtone to sound like an alarm so it would wake him up better. He sat up as soon as the phone started to ring, instantly awake. When he answered the phone, he put the phone about half a foot away from his ear to preserve his hearing, but the morning call Kiara always used did never came. Instead, a loud explosion could be heard from the other end of the phone.

“Tenchou?” Ryan asked hesitantly. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what was going on. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, morning!” Kiara’s cheery voice was heard over another explosion and several screams of pain. “Uhh, I’m kind of busy right now!”

“I can tell,” Ryan deadpanned as gunfire could be heard on the other side of the phone. “What are you even doing?”

“I’m uhhh… playing Call of Duty with Calli! Yeah, let’s go with that!” As if on cue, a scream of agony could be heard as well as a barely audible “Don’t touch my wife!”

“Was that Calli?” Ryan asked.

“Was it?” Ryan could almost see the expression on Kiara’s face. “OhmygoshshelovesmeIhavetogohavethedayoffbye!”

With that, the line went dead. Ryan sighed. What was he going to do now? He put the phone back on his nightstand and plopped back on his bed. Maybe he could decide that in a couple of hours.

-

When Ryan woke up again, the first thing he checked was his phone for the time. 9:46 am. He stood up and got out of bed, assessing his options. He could stay home and rot away as he usually does or go outside and actually do something with his life.

 _I’m Vitamin D deficient anyways_ , Ryan thought to himself as he got out of bed, cracking his back. Maybe he could go somewhere and make friends outside of work, or if he was lucky, run into someone he met at work. For some reason, Ryan had the impression that Amelia knew a _lot_ of people. He put on his hoodie and grabbed his wallet. It was time to go.

-

Ryan found himself roaming the streets, going wherever his feet took him. After a couple hours of walking, he had a bag filled with two decks of trading cards, a couple notebooks, some pencils, and about seven issues of varying manga. He sighed as he calculated his funds. _Damn, I really need to stop impulsively spending money,_ he thought to himself. _I hope Tenchou pays soon. If not, I might be in a bit of trouble._

He then stopped walking and looked to his right to see a traditional shrine atop a hill, a large number of steps leading to it. Ryan wasn’t the most religious person, but he decided to stop by. Though he didn’t show it and sure as hell wouldn’t admit to it, he was concerned for his boss. _Honestly, she’s such a bad liar,_ he thought to himself, stifling a chuckle. He figured he could at least leave a prayer.

“Hey kid!” Ryan was snapped from his stupor as he heard a man call out. He turned to see a middle-aged man wearing torn and tattered clothes looking directly at him.

“What’s up?” Ryan asked.

“You shouldn’t go there,” the man advised, his raspy accent penetrating Ryan’s ears. “Apparently one of those _freaks_ is up there.”

Ryan’s eyebrow creased as the man emphasized the word. “What? It’s just rumors. I’ll be fine,” he said. Whether or not someone was there, he really didn’t care. The outcomes presented themselves in Ryan’s head. One, no one was there. Ryan reasoned that was the best one. Two, there _was_ someone there, but it would just be a normal shrine maiden or something like that. That wasn’t a big deal. Third, a supernatural being could be residing there, hoping not to be attacked. Either way, he would just remain neutral. He wouldn’t want to piss off whatever gods he would be praying to.

“Your funeral,” the man scoffed and walked away. Ryan sighed and started climbing the steps. Climbing the steps was a good opportunity for Ryan to reflect. As he climbed, he thought about the past few days. As he spent his time as a NEET, he developed several disorders as the isolation almost drove him insane. He wanted to go out and do things, but what happened before he moved to Japan plagued his mind too much.

 _Speaking of which, what_ did _happen before I moved here?_ Ryan thought to himself. He concentrated hard, trying to find the memories, but they never presented themselves. That was weird. _Why can’t I remember anything?_

Before he could ponder about his apparent amnesia, he found himself at the foot of the giant, red gate. He sighed and walked through. As he passed the gate, he stumbled a bit. The feeling was similar to when he was walking to work on his first day. When he looked up, he saw something that wasn’t there before, or rather, someone. A girl with short, pink hair and a shine maiden outfit was seen sweeping the area with a broom, her back facing Ryan.

“Uh…” Ryan thought of something to say but couldn’t. What was he supposed to say? A person literally just appeared in front of him.

“Ack!” The girl jumped, dropping her broom before turning around to face Ryan with a defensive stance. When she saw some teen with a grocery bag and his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets, she relaxed slightly, taking a more casual stance, though Ryan could tell she was ready to strike if needed. “Nyahello~! My name is Sakura Miko!”

“Ryan Shade,” Ryan introduced himself. “May I ask how you appeared in front of me?”

“I was going to ask how _you_ appeared in front of _me_ ,” Miko picked up her broom. “Only magical creatures with no ill intent can enter this space and I don’t sense any magic on you.”

“Apparently I’m ‘special’,” Ryan said “special” with air quotes. “I was just here to send a prayer for my Tenchou’s safety.”

“Oh, Kiara-chan?” Miko put a finger on her chin and looked up, as if she was thinking about something. “Ah! She should be fine. She has Calliope-chan with her.”

“You know Tenchou?” Ryan noticed how Miko pronounced “Calliope” a bit weird but shrugged it off. “Do you know what she’s doing right now?”

“It’s a secret!” Miko leaned forward slightly and put a finger to her lips, smile wide. “If she didn’t tell you, it was probably for a good reason.”

“Secrets, secrets,” Ryan muttered under his breath.

“So, if you know Kiara-chan, you must be that employee!” Miko said, her eyes drifting up and down Ryan’s form.

“That employee?” Ryan echoed. “Is she talking about me?”

“I-“ Miko’s mouth slammed shut. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s whatever,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “At least I mean enough to her for her to talk about me.”

“Do you like her?” Miko gave Ryan a suggestive look.

“Thank god I don’t,” Ryan said back. “I’m not sure if Calliope-san would let me live if I did.”

“Fair enough,” Miko smiled.

“Well, I’m going to go now,” Ryan turned around to leave.

“Weren’t you going to leave a prayer?” Miko asked.

“Eh, you can do it,” Ryan shrugged. As Ryan left, he could hear a loud “FAQ!” In the distance.

-

Ryan spent the next few hours sitting at the park, pondering the previous conversation. _Jeez, how many people does Tenchou know?_ He thought to himself. She had connections everywhere, from famous rappers, to construction CEOs, to pro gamers, to a random shrine maiden from the middle of nowhere. He stood up as he watched the sun set. _Time to go home._

As he started to walk back to his apartment complex, something caught his eye. He turned to see an alleyway with three guys cornering a girl. The thugs weren’t what caught his eye. If anything, they seemed a bit unremarkable. He focused in on the girl who had sky-blue hair neatly tied into a ponytail. The thing that really unnerved Ryan was her eyes. He recognized the glint in her deep, blue eyes and he didn’t like where he recognized it from. He saw that glint in Calli’s eyes when someone got too close to Kiara or when some poor sod places their had on Korone’s head. There was no denying it. That girl was going to kill those three thugs.

Without thinking, Ryan threw his shopping bag aside and grabbed the head of the nearest thug, slamming his head into the wall. Now none of this was Ryan’s business, but he couldn’t leave those three men to die to whatever that girl’s murderous gaze foretold. The three people left conscious all turned to him in shock. As passive as Ryan was, he wasn’t a pushover when it came to fighting people. Sure, he wasn’t anything remarkable, but he taught himself to fight back when… that was weird. Ryan couldn’t remember when he taught himself how to fight. He landed an uppercut on the next thug’s stomach, only to slide backwards to land a roundhouse kick on his temple. As his foot landed, he spun on it and jumped up, kicking the man again with the same foot. As the man stumbled, hitting his head on the alley wall, Ryan took a step, letting his right foot cross his left before raising his left foot to kick the third thug square in the face. Before he could react, Ryan jumped up, kicking him in the chin, causing him to stumble backwards, unconscious.

He then stopped and turned towards the girl, panting as his adrenaline continued to spike. “Thank you for saving me,” the girl offered a sweet smile.

“I wasn’t saving you,” Ryan replied. His tone wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t exactly bright and cheery earlier. “I was saving them.” He gestured toward the thug behind him who was slumped on the floor.

“I see,” the murderous glint returned. “Do I have to kill you too?”

“I would rather you not,” Ryan sighed. His calmness in life threatening situations started to worry him. “If I die, I’m not sure I’m going to hear the end of it from my boss.”

The girl chuckled at that. “No, I guess not,” she replied. Ryan wondered if she knew Kiara, too, but pushed the thought away. That would be too much of a coincidence.

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan offered to shake her hand. “I would say it’s nice to meet you, but I’m not sure this is the best time to meet someone.”

“Hoshimachi Suisei,” the girl, now named Suisei shook Ryan’s hand. “I would love to stay and chat, but Anemachi would kill me if I arrived home late.”

“Well, see you, I guess,” Ryan waved his hand as he turned to leave.

“I have a feeling we will,” Suisei’s words caused Ryan to freeze. When Ryan turned to ask what she meant, she was gone. Replaced by a gust of wind.

“You know, I really hate it when people do that,” Ryan grumbled.

-

As Ryan entered his complex, a familiar blue haired girl smiled psychotically. She held out her hand, and with a gust of wind, a gigantic golden battle axe appeared in her hand. “Ryan Shade, huh?” She giggled. “Very interesting.”

-

Ryan’s apartment wasn’t far from the alleyway. He opened his apartment door and took off his shoes, getting a wet paper towel to clean them. He sighed as he scrubbed the blood off of his shoes before flopping on his bed. He took out his phone and dialed Sabrina’s number. He’s seen it enough to have it memorized at this point. As usual, it went to voicemail. Ryan wasn’t disappointed anymore at this point.

“Hey, Sabrina,” he said, more as an exasperated sigh rather than a greeting. “Well, I got into a fight today. Well, I’m not sure if you can consider it a fight. Those guys weren’t all too tough. If looks could kill, though, those thugs would have been dead thrice over from the look that one girl was giving her, though. Hell, they might have ended up dying if I didn’t step in. She kind of reminds me of you. Hey, remember when… wait a second…” Ryan rattled his head, trying to remember what he was going to say. “Weird… I don’t remember. That’s kind of ironic, huh? Anyways, I’m going to leave that there. I’ll call you tomorrow, I guess. Goodnight, Sabrina.”

-

**Day 7: Duck, Duck, Goose**

Ryan stayed up all night again. He had a ceaseless feeling that someone was watching him throughout the night, so he spent the first part of his night covering all the windows and double locking all the doors, but the feeling never ceased. He chalked it up to paranoia and decided to go to bed. As he tried to sleep, the tugging feeling of paranoia never left him. By the time the phone rang at 5 am, he had huge bags under his eyes, cold sweat running down his face. He heaved a monumental sigh of relief as he heard the ever-so-familiar ringtone that he set specifically for Kiara. He shot up, grabbing the phone and accepting it as fast as possible.

“KEKKERIKIII~” Kiara shouted through the phone.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan tried his best not to sound tired but ended up sounding like someone who hasn’t slept in a month.

“You alright?” Kiara asked, concern rising in her voice. “Sounds like you’ve had a rough night.”

“I don’t know,” Ryan grumbled, scratching his head. “I just had this… terrible feeling of being watched.”

“It’s probably nothing- Oh! I got a text. Give me a second…” There were a couple seconds of silence as Kiara checked her text messages. “Ah, I see! Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her, so don’t worry!”

“Wait, there was someone watching me?!” Ryan exclaimed. As if on cue, he heard running and stumbling from outside. He ran over to the door and opened it, wildly looking around. When he didn’t see anyone, he narrowed his eyes, closing the door.

“No! What are you talking about?” Kiara denied profusely. “I was just talking to… the ghost! Yeah! The ghost…”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan grumbled, not believing a word. “I’ll be there in five. Please make sure I don’t get murdered by a psychopath wielding an axe.”

“No promises~” Kiara said suggestively before hanging up the phone.

Ryan groaned as he got his wallet. Today was going to be a rough day.

-

Thankfully, the feeling of being watched slowly started to subside as he headed towards work. He opened the door to see Kiara already preparing something in the back. “I was going to ask, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he headed over to the break room to change. “Where were you yesterday? Like, where were you _really_?”

“I was playing video games with Calli,” Kiara lied as naturally as she breathed.

“Tenchou, we both know that’s not true,” Ryan said through the door as he zipped up his pants. “I’m just worried about you. The last thing I want, or need is my manager with a bullet in her head. I don’t want to be nosy or anything, but I want you to be safe.”

“Everything is okay,” Kiara assured him as Ryan opened the door to face her, a reassuring smile on her face. “I promise not to do anything dangerous.”

“If you insist,” Ryan sighed. As he moved towards the counter, the door opened, and the oddest thing happened. A duck with a multicolored cap walked in. Ryan gaped in confusion as it walked over to the counted and flapped its wings, flying up to the seat, making eye contact with Kiara.

“Shuba Shuba Shuba!” The duck quacked, flapping its wings. Ryan turned his eyes towards Kiara, who smiled widely.

“Pipipii!” She chirped before going to the back. Ryan then turned to look at the duck, who looked back at him. He then looked at the clutter of feathers that was quickly forming on the floor below the duck disapprovingly.

“You know I’m going to have to clean that up, right?” He pointed at the mound of feathers. The two stared at each other, creating a considerable amount of tension before the duck arched its head backwards. Ryan was not prepared for what happened next.

“OMAEEEEEEEEE!!!” The duck yelled, its voice also human. If Ryan didn’t know any better, he would have guessed the duck was using a spell to amplify its volume. Ryan stumbled back, and invisible force pushing him back.

“Ow,” Ryan steadied himself on a counter. “That kinda hurt.”

“Sorry about that,” Ryan watched as the duck started to shift in shape until a girl took its place. Somehow, the baseball cap grew with her, covering a head with short hair going down to the middle of her neck. She wore a yellow and white striped shirt and short shorts. “Force of habit.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Ryan dusted off his uniform. “I’ve dealt with worse. Name’s Ryan Shade.”

“Oozora Subaru!” The girl shot her fist in the air, a bright smile on her face. Ryan smiled at her. How could he not? She was adorable.

“If _you_ didn’t light that guy on fire when he called you a kid, we would be on time!” A girl with pink hair wearing what looked like a maid uniform coming from sea snapped.

“NEEEEEE?!” Ryan wanted to call the small girl in a witch’s outfit a child, but his experiences with the super sexy boing boing Rushia deterred him. “If _you_ didn’t trip every other turn, we wouldn’t be late!”

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said, clearing his throat to catch their attention. “My name is Ryan Shade and I will be taking care of everything for you today.”

“A-ah!” The maid girl physically jumped back, waving her hands all over the place before bowing multiple times. “I-I’m sorry! My name is Minato Aqua! Thank you for having us!”

“Aqua, you need to stop doing that!” The smaller girl sighed, shaking her head. “Murasaki Shion.”

 _Kusogaki!_ Ryan instantly thought. He didn’t know why he thought that, but a gut feeling told him that this Shion person was a smug, cheeky, brat.

“Nice to meet you two,” Ryan smiled at the two as they took their seats beside Subaru.

“So Dayo!” With a puff of smoke, an Oni with white hair and red eyes jumped up out of nowhere, causing Ryan to jump. “What’s up humans?! Konnakiri! I’m Nakiri Ayame!”

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan had to use every fiber of his being to stay professional as he felt his heart melting at the cuteness of the Oni. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nakiri-san.”

“Call me Ayame!” The Oni giggled.

 _-100 hp! Critical hit!_ Ryan stumbled back, clutching his chest. He lost all sense of professionalism as Ayame giggled, slowly curing all forms of negative emotions from his heart.

“Jeez, that’s an odd reaction,” Shion looked at him with disappointment. “You alright, kid?”

“You’re one to talk,” Ryan shot back, balancing himself.

“Listen here you little-“ As Shion jumped up, a wand appearing in her hand, Kiara burst out with several plates of food.

“Don’t set my employees on fire!” Kiara shouted, placing the food on the counter, placing the food in front of each person.

“This joke is _really_ getting old,” Aqua looked at the plate of chopped onions in front of her.

“Sugar?” Ayame titled her head cutely at Kiara.

“It’s because you’re so sweet!” Somewhere in this world, a Tako gave Kiara a thumbs up.

“Thank you, Kiara-chan!” Shion instantly started singing a different tune as a plate of cakes, pastries, and other sweets revealed itself.

“Shuba shuba shuba shuba shuba!” Subaru turned back into a duck as she saw the plate of duck food, digging right in.

“How do you know what everybody wants?” Ryan asked Kiara.

“I’m just that good!” Kiara winked at Ryan.

“Sure,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Shuba shuba!” Subaru said through mouthfuls of duck food.

“It _has_ been a while since we got together like this,” Aqua replied, speaking as if she understood the duck.

“Well, that’s all thanks to _someone,_ ” Shion glared at Aqua.

“Shuba shuba!” Subaru stopped eating to look at Shion.

“I guess we _do_ arrive everywhere together,” Shion grumbled, causing Ayame to giggle.

“I miss this!” She wrapped her arms around Subaru and Aqua. “You guys are so fun to hang out with!”

“Speaking of fun, where’s Choco-sensei?” Shion asked.

“What are you implying?” Kiara narrowed her eyes at Shion.

“She got turned down without a second thought,” Aqua said, causing everyone to laugh except Shion.

“NEEEEEE!” Shion shouted, a deathly glare piercing Aqua’s onion head.

As if on cue, the doors opened, revealing a rather… well-developed woman wearing a school nurse’s outfit.

“Hello~” She smiled as she walked over to the counter and to a seat before looking at Ryan. “Ara ara, what a coincidence~ It’s been a while, Ryan~”

“Have we met?” Ryan asked, concentrating on literally anything other than her oppais.

“You don’t remember?” She tilted her head, putting a finger on her chin. “I was your high school nurse back in America.”

“Don’t you work at a demon school?” Shion deadpanned.

“I was asked to transfer to America for a few years by Death-sama,” The woman replied. “I had to cut that term short, though due to a certain… incident.”

“Sorry, but I’m having some pretty bad problems with memory,” Ryan shook his head. “If we have met before, then I don’t remember.”

“Ah, I remember now,” the woman said, crossing her arms underneath her chest. “My name is Yuzuki Choco. You can call me Choco-sensei, though. We aren’t exactly strangers~”

“What exactly do you remember?” Ryan asked, his interest piqued.

“Er…” Choco looked rather uncomfortable, multiple sets of eyes on her.

“Choco-sensei!” Kiara interjected, as if to deliberately change the subject. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’m fine for now,” Choco gave Kiara a kind smile.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Ryan said, trying his best not to sound aggravated. “It’s not like I’m not used to it.”

With that, the mood of the room noticeably shifted. “Ryan…” Choco looked visibly saddened. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Ryan didn’t miss the guilt and regret in her eyes but was too peeved to acknowledge it. “Tenchou, I’m clocking out.”

Ryan went to the back to clock out, leaving everyone sitting in silence.

-

“Guh!! I’m so stupid!” Ryan hit himself on the head with his fist, emulating Calli’s verbal tick. It only took a couple hours for Ryan to clear his head and to reflect on his actions. “How could I just ruin their day like that! I’m so dumb!”

He paced around his room, muttering to himself. He was so deep in his thoughts that he visibly jumped when someone knocked on the door. He walked over and opened the door, his eyes widening slightly as Choco was standing there in front of him.

“Hey Ryan,” She looked into his eyes. “I want to-“

“I’m sorry,” Ryan said immediately. “I admit I kind of lost my temper back there. You didn’t deserve that.”

“No, it’s okay,” Choco surprised Ryan by pulling him into a hug. Ryan didn’t really know what to do, so he just let his arms hang awkwardly. “I really want to tell you what happened… believe me I do… it’s just not my secret to tell… there is so much more in play. I wish I could just talk to you.”

“I understand,” Ryan replied, finally finding the courage to wrap his arms around her. “Thank you.”

“Always,” Choco smiled softly as she pulled away. “Thank you for forgiving me.”

“No problem,” Ryan smiled back.

“I’ll see you around,” Choco winked as she vanished in a puff of pink smoke.

“Yeah,” Ryan closed the door. It took about two seconds for the events of the past few minutes to sink in.

“What the hell just happened?”

-

**Day 8: Bonds Thicker than Blood**

“You alright, Ryan?” Kiara asked through the phone. She didn’t even do her normal wake up call. It was obvious she was concerned from him.

“Yeah, Choco-sensei and I sorted everything out last night,” Ryan replied. “Everything’s alright now.”

“By sorted out… do you mean…” Kiara giggled suggestively, causing a tick to appear on Ryan’s forehead.

“Tenchou, do you really think I’m capable of getting laid?” Ryan deadpanned.

“Probably not,” Kiara laughed. “Anyways, can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?” Ryan asked.

“Can you bring some sake? I wired some money into your account,” Kiara replied. “I put in 400,000 yen as well as your weekly pay. The higher the quality, the better.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of money for sake,” Ryan said, a hint of shock entering his tone. As someone who was still barely getting off his feet, 400,000 yen seemed like a fortune.

“We’re hosting a very important event today,” Kiara said. The sadness in Kiara’s tone told Ryan enough.

“Alright, Tenchou,” Ryan said, trying to sound enthusiastic and cheery in hopes of cheering up his manager. “I’ll get whatever I can.”

“Thanks, I knew I could count on you,” Kiara said, her voice sounding brighter, even if only a miniscule amount. “Can I see you in thirty minutes?”

“I’ll try my best to get there earlier,” Ryan said, getting his wallet.

“Alright! I’ll see you at work,” Kiara said, hanging up the phone.

-

Ryan entered the liquor store with a sigh before moving over to the alcohol section. “Ahoy~!” Ryan turned to see a girl in a skimpy pirate costume giving him a peace sign.

“Morning,” Ryan awkwardly waved before turning back to the Sake, picking one that costed exactly 400,000 yen.

“What can a girl do to get a drink around here~?” Ryan turned to see the girl making a suggestive pose, eyeing the bottle of sake he was holding. He resisted the urge to facepalm. Was she really doing this in a liquor store?

“Are you doing this in a liquor store?” Ryan verbalized his thoughts. “This is for work. Plus, if you’re going out in public with that outfit, you’re probably a lesbian.”

“I mean… you’re right…” The girl was taken aback. “No one has ever said that so directly, though.”

“If you excuse me, I have to get to work before my Tenchou kills me,” Ryan said, hurrying to the register.

“Huh,” The girl said, staring at the place where Ryan once stood.

-

Ryan walked into the restaurant, walking in with the bottle of sake. Kiara looked up from underneath the counter, her expression brightening.

“Great!” She chirped as Ryan handed her the bottle. “This was her favorite…”

“Whose favorite?” Ryan asked.

“It’s not my place to tell,” Kiara said, offering Ryan a sad smile. Before he could open his mouth, Kiara continued. “Just wait until everyone gets here. We’ll explain then.”

“Okay,” Ryan accepted that answer as he walked into the break room to get changed.

As he changed, he heard the doors open and chatting, Kiara’s voice amongst the chattering. As Ryan walked out, he saw a girl with gray lion ears and Adidas clothing chatting with Kiara. Ryan recognized her immediately. Shishiro Botan was one of the world’s best FPS pro gamer. Ryan was never one for First Person Shooters, but he always enjoyed watching Botan’s livestreams, it being one of the highlights of Ryan’s NEET year.

“Shishiro-san!” Ryan almost jumped out of his skin in shock. Botan turned to him, a confused expression on her face. “My name’s Ryan Shade! I’m a huge fan!”

“See, Botan-senpai?” Kiara nudged Botan from behind the counter. “You do have fans!”

“I’m honored, Ryan-san,” Botan bowed slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Please, just Ryan,” Ryan waved his shaking hand dismissively.

With a gust of snowflakes, a woman with an artic coat and long, pointy ears appeared. “Ah, Botan-chan!” The woman smiled. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Ohayo, Lamy-mama!” Botan gestured for her to sit next to her, which the woman obliged.

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan bowed slightly towards the blue-haired woman. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“O-oh,” The woman flushed, seemingly flustered, but offered a kind smile, nonetheless. “My name is Yukihana Lamy. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Ryan offered a small nod. As he did, the doors slammed opened, revealing an outfit looking similar to a traditional Chinese outfit, though somehow looking completely different. “SUPERNENECHI HAS ARRIVED!”

Ryan jumped in shock before pointing at her, a hurt expression on his face. “IT’S YOU!” Ryan actually new who Momosuzu Nene was. When Ryan was looking for jobs, he actually applied to NenePro, but like many others, didn’t even give him an email. “YOU KNOW, I NEVER GOT AN EMAIL BACK FROM YOUR COMPANY!”

“I’M SORRY!” Nene bowed, distress in her tone. “Kiara and I had a fight over who should hire you and I was too hurt to reply to your application!”

“You fought over me?” Ryan looked at Kiara, who only winked.

“I still have burn marks,” Nene rubbed her back, crocodile tears forming in her eyes.

“Okay…” Ryan said, unable to come up with a response as Nene sat on the other side of Botan.

Suddenly, a girl dived through the doors, landing face first on the floor before jumping up, her fist in the air and a bloody nose, one of her bunny ears bending forward. “I AM PHEONIX!”

“NO, I AM PHEONIX!” Kiara exclaimed instantly. Ryan just brushed this off as an inside joke. Kiara was human, right?

“Oh, not this again,” Nene muttered under her breath.

“Guys, this isn’t the time,” Botan and Lamy instantly stood up, trying to calm the two.

“Oh!” The bunny girl noticed Ryan and dashed up to him, forgetting her prior argument with Kiara. “Hi! I’m Omaru Polka! I am a Pheo- Fennec girl!”

 _So not a bunny,_ Ryan thought to himself.

“Ryan Shade,” he offered his hand, which Polka shook. Ryan recoiled slightly when he felt a hand buzzer on Polka’s hands. “I would say nice to meet you, but I think you’ve lost that right.”

Polka and Kiara laughed whole Botan and Lamy giggled, soft smiles on their faces.

“So, do you have it?” Lamy asked Kiara, who nodded. She walked over to the back and came back with a framed picture of what looked like a demon girl smiling at the camera. The girl had pink hair with blond streaks, a left horn bigger than her right horn, and headphones around her neck along with the sake that Ryan brought.

“Who’s this?” Ryan asked as Kiara placed the picture on the counter next to Polka’s seat. She then placed sake cups for everyone, not forgetting herself, Ryan, and the picture of the girl.

“This was Mano Aloe,” Botan said, nodding in thanks as Kiara poured her a cup of alcohol. “We were all in a team together a while ago. We went through a lot together.”

“Yeah,” Lamy’s smile turned sad, nostalgia flashing through her eyes. “She made us lunch every day, no matter how bad things got. I really miss her bento boxes.”

“I remember when we went to her room for the first time,” Polka drank her cup of sake in one take, holding the cup out to Kiara, who poured her another glass. “She always cleaned the office during her breaks, but her room was so messy! We spent the first three hours of our stay helping her clean her room.”

“Aloe-chan would always give me advice about becoming an idol,” Nene sniffled, sipping at her cup, her cheeks already flushed with intoxication. “Without her, NenePro would have never gotten as far as it did.”

“I see,” Ryan decided to leave his sake for the time being. “What happened to her?”

“We were raiding a MILF stronghold,” Botan explained, all four of them looking down. “They were planning on raiding Atlantis and all of their plans were in that one place. We managed to destroy the plans, but we were cornered… Aloe-chan decided to divert their attention… she sacrificed herself so we could escape…”

Nene slammed her hand on the counted, causing everyone to look at her. “It should’ve been me,” she said, tears flowing freely.

“You shouldn’t say that,” Lamy pulled Nene into a hug. “I believe she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

“You’re right…” Nene hugged Lamy back, sniffling. “It’s just hard…”

“She sounds like a wonderful person,” Ryan smiled softly. Though he was doing this to comfort the others, he felt a deep sense of respect for Aloe. If presented the decision, he wasn’t sure if he was brave enough to do what Aloe did. She was a hero, through and through.

“She was,” Botan held her sake cup up. “A toast to our friend, our savior, and our sister.”

Even though Ryan didn’t feel right doing it, as he didn’t know her, but he held his cup with everyone else, more out of respect than obligation, which was a first for him.

“Rest in peace, Aloe,” Everyone said at once, a few people saying “Aloe-chan” and Ryan saying “Mano-san” before drinking their cup of sake.

“Do you have it?” Botan asked Kiara, who gave her another bottle of sake. Botan nodded in thanks as the four stood up. “We have one more spot to visit. It was nice meeting you, Ryan.”

“It was nice meeting you too, Shishiro-san, Omaru-san, Yukihana-san, Momosuzu-san,” Ryan offered a polite smile.

“Please, call me Botan,” Botan smiled back. “You’ve respected us and listened to our story. For that, you’ve earned the right to my given name.”

“Same here!” Nene smiled. “Call me Nene, Nenechi, or CEO!”

“ _I’m_ his CEO!” Kiara exclaimed, causing Nene to giggle a bit.

“Feel free to call me Lamy or Lamy-mama,” Lamy smiled.

“Ooh! Call me Polka!” Polka jumped up and down.

“Alright,” Ryan smiled as they turned to leave. “I hope to see you again soon.”

-

Botan, Nene, Polka, and Lamy sat in a half circle in front of a grave, a cup of sake in front of each of them, including the grave. “People who drink from the same sake cup are considered family,” Lamy said, looking at the grave.

_Here lies Mano Aloe_

_2005-2020_

_“Aloe in our minds,_

_Aloe in our hearts”_

“Sisters?” Nene raised her cup of sake, looking at the people around her.

“Sisters,” the rest of them agreed, drinking their sake. As they left, they left the cup of sake, along with a letter from each of them.

-

Ryan sat down on his computer chair and sighed. “Today was emotionally draining,” he said. He checked his bank account. His eyes widened in shock as he noticed 100,000 yen more than he did in the beginning of the day. 100k per week? He decided to call up Kiara.

“Hello!” Kiara chirped. He guessed that Kiara didn’t use her catchphrase since it wasn’t the morning. “What did you need?”

“Uh, I think you gave me too much money,” Ryan said, double checking his bank balance on his computer. “You seemed to have given me 100,000 yen.”

“That’s right!” Kiara said. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Isn’t that too much?” Ryan repeated. “I don’t really think I deserve this much.”

“No, you do,” Kiara said without a second thought. “You’ve been doing really well! Most people called the cops when they saw half the people who walked in here. You’ve been one of the best employees I’ve ever had. I wish you would have applied earlier.”

“You don’t know how much this means to me,” Ryan said. At that point, he didn’t really care too much for the money anymore. He doesn’t remember the last time he was appreciated. Sure, he didn’t remember much at all, but in the year he’s been a NEET, all he’s gotten was angry phone calls from his mother and automated voice messages. “I’m honored to be of value to you.”

“You’re not of value to me,” Kiara said, shocking Ryan. “I didn’t keep you around because you’re useful. I keep you around because you’re Ryan. Sure, you’re good at your job, but that isn’t all of you. I need you because you do your work, but I want you because you’re Ryan.”

“Thank you…” Ryan said, wiping his eyes. “You mean a lot to me, Tenchou. I hope you know that.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Kiara said before hanging up. Ryan looked at his bank balance before closing it. He didn’t care for such superficial things. He only needed a fifth of that a week to afford his wages, so he didn’t care for such superficial things. He looked at his phone, the screen showing a picture of Sabrina smiling back at him.

“Sabrina,” he said, not caring if anyone was listening. “I think I’ve found what I needed to be happy.”

-

“Why not?!” A brown-haired girl shouted at a hooded figure. “There’s no reason for me to stay here in America! Let me see him!”

The hooded figure looked up, revealing a white mask with a large, black one imprinted on it. There was no indication he could see through the mask, as the entire mask was completely covered in plastic. “I told you, he’s not ready,” the hooded figure said. “Sabrina, you need to stay in America.”

“He deserves to have his memories,” the girl, Sabrina said.

“I know it hurts,” the hooded figure replied. “It hurts me too, but we don’t know what could happen if he gets them back. Now go. We still need to clean up the MILF here in America.”

“Whatever,” Sabrina grumbled as she put on her own mask, identical to the one the hooded figure was wearing except the giant one was replaced by a four. “See you, Shade.”

Sabrina opened a portal with her hands and jumped through. As the portal closed, Shade looked to the sky. “Storm, am I doing the right thing?”

-

Mano Aloe was standing in an empty void, staring off into the endless blackness. “Aloe-san,” a voice caused her to turn around and facing a hooded figure wearing a white mask with a back zero covering a majority of it.

“Storm,” Aloe bowed slightly.

“You don’t need to bow to me,” Storm held his hand up.

“Are you sure I can’t meet them?” Aloe asked.

“I wish you could,” Storm said, shaking his head. “But we can’t interfere. Not yet. The void prohibits us.”

“I see,” Aloe held out her hand and a framed picture formed in her hand. The picture showed her, Lamy, Botan, Nene, and Polka posing for the camera together. “I miss you all. I hope we can see each other again soon.”

-

**Day 9: Murderers, Memelords, Gorillas, Oh My!**

A shiver down Ryan’s spine forced him awake. “I thought you said you’d deal with this,” Ryan grumbled as the tugging on his mind returned. He stood up and cracked his back, putting on his hoodie. It was early in the morning, and Ryan wanted to get out. He decided to call Kiara and give her a heads up. He dialed up the number and put the phone to his ear.

“KIKKERIKIII~” Ryan didn’t actually expect her to pick up, much less so quickly.

“So, I feel like I’m being watched again.” Ryan glared at a random window as a feeble attempt to try and spot his stalker. If he was successful, he didn’t know, as nothing happened. “Can I hop into the restaurant early?”

“Sure! I’m already there, so you can drop by!” Kiara replied.

“Really? It’s…” Ryan paused to look at his phone. “3:45 am. What the hell are you doing there?”

“Adding armored plating to the restaurant,” Kiara deadpanned.

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“You know, I don’t even know why I bother,” Ryan facepalmed. “I’ll see you soon.”

As he hung up, the tugging sensation went away. Ryan sighed with relief as he walked off.

-

The first thing Ryan noticed was the fortifications on the restaurant. Armored plating was slapped on the walls and barred on the windows. “Okay…” Ryan muttered to himself, opening the doors.

“Is anyone there?” He asked, noting that the floors, ceilings, and even the stools were replaced with a shiny metal.

“Oh!” Kiara opened the door from the back, hammer and nails in hand. “It’s great you’re here! Can you help out?”

“What’s…” Ryan waved his arms dramatically. “All this?”

“Oh, it’s just tungsten,” Kiara replied. “Now, we really need to hurry up and finish this.”

“Wait,” Ryan held his hands up. “Why tungsten? Why the plating? Why anything?”

“Kaichou’s coming today,” Kiara said, staring at Ryan as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Who’s Kaichou?”

“A dragon.”

“Oh,” Ryan paused. Without another word, he followed Kiara to the back.

-

After a couple hours, they finished completely fortifying the restaurant. “That wasn’t that bad!” Kiara laughed as she ate a fried chicken leg.

“You weren’t the one who was forced to make you fried chicken, used as a ladder, and was used as target practice to ‘test the melting point’,” Ryan was laying on the floor in the middle of the establishment, his chest heaving.

“It was great exercise!” Kiara smiled as the doors opened. When Ryan opened his eyes, a familiar woman was looking down at him, an amused smile on her face.

“Morning Hoshimachi-san,” Ryan said, closing his eyes again.

“Morning Ryan,” Suisei giggled at the display before stepping over him to sit down.

“Suisei-senpai!” Kiara exclaimed before a multitude of crashing sounds could be heard, followed up with a thud. Ryan then opened his eyes to see Kiara laying face down next to him.

“Oh, morning Tenchou,” Ryan said nonchalantly. “You two know each other?”

“Of course!” Kiara hopped up, grabbing Ryan by his collar to force him to his feet. “C’mon, Ryan! It’s time to get to work!”

“Ugh, fine!” Ryan groaned as he got behind the counter. “What would you like, Hoshimachi-san?”

“Nothing for now,” She gave Ryan a smile. “Feel free to call me Suisei, though.”

“Alright, Suisei-san,” Ryan cracked his back. He noted that there was a distant sound of wings flapping, thinking none of it. As the flapping noises grew, Ryan’s expression contorted with dread. This was it. The dragon that Kiara was talking about. With a crashing thud, a giant dragon revealed itself, purple scales shining in the sunlight. As the dragon landed, a girl with a golden halo that Ryan noted was shaped differently than he would expect.

With a flash of light, the dragon started to shrink in size until a woman with long, orange hair taking its place, purple tail swishing wildly. Ryan recognized her immediately, pointing at her as soon as she opened the door. “I remember you!”

“Good morning motherf**kers!” Coco gave Ryan a thumbs up and a wink. “Did you drink the Asacoco?”

“Coco!” The angel girl gasped, giving her a look. “How could you give him Asacoco! Is that really how you treat him after everything?”

“Everything?” Ryan tilted his head.

“She’s talking about something else,” Coco waved her hand dismissively.

“Color me curious,” Ryan said as Coco and the angel girl sat down beside Suisei.

“A person that looked just like you appeared two years ago,” Coco started. “Along with six other people broke into a MILF stronghold. At the time, I was apprehended and forced into suppression. Those six people broke me out.”

“So, like a twin or something?” Ryan asked. “That’s weird. Another thing is, I can’t remember anything before about a year ago.”

“The thing is, he was a powerful mage,” Coco looked Ryan directly in the eyes. “And he’s dead.”

“Dead?!” The angel girl exclaimed, shooting Coco a look. “You never told me anything about this.”

“We didn’t want anyone to know,” Coco looked back at the girl. “The existence of YAGOO and the six hooded mages keep the MILF in check.”

“You know,” Ryan rubbed his head. “I’m not sure if I should be in on all this secret-y magic underground war stuff.”

“He’s probably right,” Suisei chimed in. “Kanata-chan, you haven’t introduced yourself yet.”

“Oh!” Kanata’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I forgot… I’m sorry. My name is Aname Kanata, a first-year student at the Heaven Academy of Angelic Arts. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Ryan Shade, KFP employee,” Ryan introduced himself casually. “What would you two like?”

“I’ll have a dragon-tail steak!” Coco said, raising her hand enthusiastically.

“Isn’t that cannibalism?” Ryan asked.

“C’mon! Dragon tail is a delicacy across the magical community!” Coco chirped.

“Whatever you say,” Ryan grumbled.

“I’ll have pork stew!” Kanata said. At that, Kanata, Coco, and Suisei started laughing.

“Did you get the pot I sent you?” Coco asked Kiara.

“Yeah!” Kiara chirped before giving Coco a confused expression. “Why did you even have a pot that big?”

“Long story,” Kanata interjected, causing the trio to laugh again. “Can you use that pot please?”

“Sure, why?” Kiara asked.

“Just… humor us,” Suisei said. “We’ll pay for the entire meal.”

“Whatever you say,” Kiara headed to the back. “Since dragon meat is very delacite, I’ll do the cooking this time.”

“I never get to cook,” Ryan muttered under his breath.

“Do you _want_ to ruin tens of thousands of gold coins in dragon meat,” Kiara quipped.

“I guess not,” Ryan sighed.

“Thought so,” Kiara nodded and turned on the grill.

“So, what are you guys going to use with the leftover stew?” Ryan asked. “Assuming the pot is big enough for you guys to _have_ extra.”

“Maybe we can give the rest of it to YAGOO,” Suisei suggested. “He really deserves it.”

“I’m sure YAGOO loves our cooking,” Coco said. “After all, Kiara-chan is using our recipe.”

-

“You alright?” The man on the phone asked.

“Yeah,” YAGOO shuddered. “I just got a bad feeling. Don’t worry about it, Shade.”

“If you insist,” Shade replied through the phone. “Anyways, what do you think of him?”

“I think he’ll be ready for magic in a few days,” YAGOO replied. “He’s really grown this past week. I have to say I’m proud of him.”

“Just because your idols are raising him doesn’t mean you are,” Shade said.

“I guess not,” YAGOO replied. “Are you going to send someone?”

“There aren’t many of us left,” Shade replied. Depending on our situation, I might be able to send Godslayer in 5 days. She hasn’t stopped bothering me about him. If I don’t relent, I think she might run off to Japan herself.”

“Give him five days,” YAGOO replied. “It’ll be a nice surprise to celebrate half a month of work, I suppose.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Shade said. “Maybe finally I could get some peace. By the way, do you have some more of that stew? Godson has taken a particular liking to it.”

“How does he even handle that stuff?” YAGOO asked, massaging his temples. “I think I saw him eat Haato-chan’s cooking once.”

“He eats it exclusively with alcohol,” Shade deadpanned.

“I see.”

-

“Yeah! Coco’s cooking is the best!” Kanata chirped.

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Ryan offered the trio a smile.

“Hey Ryan,” Coco said in English, giving Ryan a suggestive look. “Who’s you’re favorite customer?”

“I’m not sure I should be answering that,” Ryan replied in kind.

“What are you saying?” Suisei asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Coco said in Japanese before switching back to English. “This could stay between us.”

“Fine,” Ryan grumbled. “I have to say Tenchou is my favorite.”

“Really?!” Kiara brought a massive pot and placed it on the counter with a thud before attempting to hug Ryan, who expertly dodged out of the way.

“I’m not too fond of physical contact,” Ryan said.

“Choco-sensei would probably have something to say about that,” Suisei offered Ryan a wink.

“How do you know about that?” Ryan asked, narrowing his eyes.

“So, you two _did_ spend the night together!” Kiara cheered.

“No, they just hugged,” Suisei corrected.

“Stop dodging the question,” Ryan said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Suisei offered Ryan a kind smile.

“Is this normal?” Ryan turned to the other two customers.

“Yep,” Both Coco and Kanata said at the same time.

“Wonderful,” Ryan muttered under his breath.

“Anyways, I’m off to deliver this to YAGOO,” Coco stood up.

“What about your tail steak?” Ryan asked.

As if on cue, Kiara gave Coco a bag. “Thanks!” Coco chirped as the three of them walked off.

Before Suisei exited the door, she turned to Ryan and gave him a wink. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Sure,” Ryan said, unsure of what to think.

Ryan turned to Kiara as Suisei left. “Is that normal?”

“Probably,” Kiara replied.

“Great.”

-

Ryan flopped on the bed, groaning. He took out his phone and dialed up Sabrina’s number. “Hey, Sabrina. It’s me again,” Ryan said, a smile on his face. “I met a dragon today! How cool is that? She’s really nice, other than the fact that she gave me drugs the first time I met her. She came with an angel too! Aname-san seems really sweet. Overall, I had a really good day. I still miss you, though. I would love to see you some day soon, but I’m not sure how possible that is. Maybe I can ask for a few days off after a couple weeks and fly to America. That sounds nice. Anyways, I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a good night, Sabrina.”

As he hung up, Ryan flopped on the bed. Life was really looking up for him. He smiled.

-

A hooded figure hopped out of a portal inside a building. “So, this is how Japan is now,” the hooded figure muttered to herself. “All I need to do is find Edhas.”

As she took her first step, her phone vibrated. “Crap,” she muttered. Suddenly, she took out a wand and with a flick of her wrist, the wand extended into a baton just in time to clash with a katana.

“Yo-chan,” her attacker said. “YAGOO said you wouldn’t be arriving for another five days.”

“What can I say?” The hooded figure, Yo-chan replied. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Kurokami-san.”

“I see,” Kurokami sheathed her sword. “So, you want to see him.”

“I do,” Yo-chan replied.

“I can’t let you-,” Kurokami started before wincing in pain. “Fubuki says that I should let you. I’m going to get in trouble for this, but I guess I owe you one.”

“Thank you, Kurokami-san,” Yo-chan bowed. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“Whatever,” Kurokami replied, offering her a pout. “Just don’t reveal your identity to him. We don’t know his current mental state. I think you know what would happen if he snaps.”

“But-,” Yo-chan started, but stopped to consider. “Fine. I guess I can’t ask for too much. Where is he?”

“Don’t get too impatient,” Kurokami said. “We’ll visit him at work tomorrow. That’s probably the best idea.”

“As long as I get to see him,” Yo-chan replied. She smiled underneath her cloak. After all this time, they will finally be reunited.

-

**Day 10: Masks**

“Sabrina?” A man walked down the blue halls. He looked around eighteen or nineteen. His blond hair was spiky and unruly. His good eye was a deep, ocean blue as his left eye was covered by an eyepatch, a scar cut through his flesh diagonally. He let out a sigh as silence answered him. He walked down the hall before stopping at a door, third to the end. He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing an empty bedroom and a note. The man picked up a note and read it.

_“Dear Shade,_

_If you’re reading this, I’m probably in Japan by now. I can’t let Edhas run around in Japan with how strong the MILF is there. Since someone has forgotten the meaning of family, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Please don’t come after me._

_-Godslayer”_

Shade heaved a sigh. As much as he wanted to be mad at Sabrina for running off, she was right. “I hope she knows what she’s doing,” Shade muttered to himself, placing the note down and walking out. This was out of his hands now.

-

“KIKKERIKII~” Kiara’s morning call has become so familiar Ryan didn’t have to move the phone away anymore.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said, stretching. As he finished stretching, he felt another tugging sensation on the back of his head. “Ugh, I feel like I’m being watched.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Kiara said, her tone turning confused. “Suisei-senpai should be-,”

“SO, IT WAS HOSHIMACHI-SAN!” Ryan exclaimed!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kiara giggled.

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled. “I’ll be there in five.”

-

“I’m so nervous,” Yo-chan adjusted her mask. The white mask covered her entire face, leaving no openings for her eyes and mouth. The entire mask was covered by a gigantic number 4. “How’s my hair, Kurokami-san?”

“For the last time, Yo-chan, don’t worry about your hair,” Kurokami said, her arms crossed. “He’s not the same guy you once knew.”

“I know, I know,” Yo-chan muttered, adjusting her long, brown hair. “It’s just… been a long while since I’ve seen him.”

“Do you have a name to use?” Kurokami asked. Yo-chan moved her head towards her ear and whispered something.

“What the hell are you thinking?!” Kurokami smacked Yo-chan on the head. “Even Fubuki doesn’t agree with that choice.”

“Kurokami-san!” Yo-chan frantically arranged her hair. “Not the head!”

“Fine,” Kurokami grumbled, before punching Yo-chan square in the gut. “Let’s just go already.”

As she turned to leave, something buzzed in Kurokami’s shirt pocket. She took out her phone and looked at it. “Great,” she groaned.

-

Ryan facefaulted onto the counter. “Ugh…”

“You alright?” Kiara asked, placing a tub of chicken next to Ryan.

“I just have a bad feeling about something,” Ryan replied, taking a chicken leg and taking a bite. “I don’t know what, though.”

Like a prophecy coming true, the doors opened, and three girls walked in. Ryan recognized one to be Fubuki, or rather Fubuki if she inverted her color scheme. The one to Nega-Fubuki’s right was what seemed to be a wolf girl with two tantos sheathed at her side. The girl to Nega-Fubuki’s left was an odd one. A hood covered her head, barely concealing the brown hair flowing down her back. She had a white mask with no openings for her eyes or mouth and a giant number 4 covering the mask.

“Yo-chan!” Kiara smiled, speaking in English. “It’s been a long time.”

“Takanashi-san,” The hooded girl bowed respectfully, speaking in Japanese. “It’s been a while.”

“Oh, so you’ve learnt Japanese!” As the three sat down, Kiara patted Yo-chan’s head comically. Ryan didn’t miss the tick mark appearing through the mask. How does that even happen? “Kuro-senpai must have been a good teacher.”

“Nothing a good punch couldn’t fix,” Nega-Fubuki replied, an ever-present scowl on her face.

“That doesn’t sound effective,” Ryan said off-handedly.

“You don’t get to judge, kid,” Nega-Fubuki shot Ryan a glare.

“Kurokami-san, no need to be rude,” The wolf girl said patiently.

“Tch,” Nega-Fubuki scoffed, looking away. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m Ryan Shade by the way,” Ryan introduced himself.

“Konbanmion!” The wolf girl cheered, raising her hand excitedly. “My name is Ookami Mio! Nice to meet you!”

“Just call me Kurokami,” Kurokami glared at Ryan.

“I’m…” Yo-chan paused for a moment. “Brianna Edhas.”

“That name…” Ryan rubbed his chin. “It seems familiar, but I can’t place my finger on why.”

“It’s a pretty unique name,” Brianna offered, holding her hand to shake. “People call me Yo-chan because of my mask.”

“I see,” Ryan shook her hand, smiling. “Would you mind if I called you that?”

“Of course not,” Brianna replied.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Yo-chan,” Ryan’s smile grew soft.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Brianna said.

“Enough with this sappy sh-,” Kurokami cringed. “Fine, fine, I’ll refrain from swearing, jeez.”

“Is that normal?” Ryan turned to Mio, who seemed a bit more sensible than some of the other people he’s met in this restaurant.

“Ah, Kurokami-chan and Fubuki-chan are the same person,” Mio replied. “It’s a side effect of her magic. Splitting her magic between yin and yang also split her personality.”

“Well at least my magic is actually _strong_ ,” Kurokami shot back. “Unlike some people.”

“Calm down, Kurokami-san,” Brianna put a hand on Kurokami’s shoulder. “She wasn’t attacking you. She was just explaining.”

“Whatever,” Kurokami pouted.

“So, what brings you here, Yo-chan?” Kiara asked. “Shouldn’t you be back in America?”

“Japan’s situation is worse, so I was deployed here,” Brianna replied. For some reason, Ryan knew she was lying, but he didn’t know how. “I was _supposed_ to be under the radar, but _someone_ wanted me to come here.”

“Oh, please,” Kurokami scoffed. “ _Brianna_ over here was being Ms. How’s-My-Hair a few minutes earlier. She was practically _begging_ to come.”

“What did you say?!” Biranna’s opened her hand, letting a fireball form.

“Now, now,” The fireball floated and flew into Kiara’s mouth. To Ryan’s horror, she swallowed it. “No fighting in my restaurant.”

“Tenchou..?” Ryan asked, both shocked and terrified. “Are you okay?”

“You met the avatar of death, a dragon, and a literal _goddess_ , and me eating fire is what scares you?” Kiara deadpanned.

“Yes!” Ryan shouted. “Also, when did I meet a goddess?”

“Matsuri-senpai,” Kiara answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Ryan nodded.

“It does?” Mio asked.

“Of course it doesn’t!” Ryan exclaimed. “How could that lolicon be an actual goddess?!”

“Don’t look at me,” Kurokami put her hands up. Funnily enough, no one was looking at her until she said that. “I didn’t make the rules.”

“Yeah, YAGOO did,” Kiara joked, causing all of them to laugh.

“Wait,” Ryan said, holding his hands up. “Who’s YAGOO? I’m lost.”

“Our boss,” Everyone except Brianna said at once.

“Really?” Ryan turned to Kiara. “I thought you were the CEO.”

“Actually, KFP is my side business,” Kiara smiled. “I’m mainly an idol.”

“Sure…” Ryan narrowed his eyes. “Like I’ll believe that.”

“Really!” Kiara exclaimed, leaning forward, her fists clenched at knee level in a pout. “I’m an idol!”

“I think you lost that title when you tried to drink Calliope-san’s ‘milk’ in public,” Brianna said, her hand over her mask in a feeble attempt to cover a snicker.

“That was _one_ time!” Kiara pouted before stopping to think. “Or was it two? I don’t remember.”

“It was twenty-six,” Mio offered helpfully.

“How are you still alive?” Ryan asked in shock. “More importantly, don’t do it again! I’m not losing my boss to something like that!”

“That’s what you’re concerned about?” Brianna, Mio, and Kurokami deadpanned all at once.

“I just don’t want my boss to die,” Ryan answered simply. “Nothing’s going to stop her from being a perv.”

“My sl- employee knows me so well!” Kiara tried to tackle Ryan in yet another hug, in which Ryan had gotten skillful at dodging.

“I dread the day I become as clingy as you are,” Ryan grumbled as Kiara hit the floor.

“Maybe it’ll come sooner than you think,” Brianna giggled.

“Doubt it,” Ryan said. “Anyways, you guys didn’t even order.”

“Can I have one of those?” Brianna pointed to the tub of chicken.

“Sure,” Ryan said. “In fact, it’s pretty much full. You can have that one.”

“Thank you,” Brianna took the tub of chicken and took a leg. Ryan expected her to take off her mask, but she moved the leg towards her mouth, somehow taking a bite through the mask.

“How the hell do you do that?” Ryan asked.

“Magic,” Brianna replied.

“I feel like I’m getting that answer way too much and-,” Ryan jumped back when he saw the XXL tub of Birb Legs completely gone. “What the hell?”

“Sorry!” Mio patted her belly, offering Ryan a smile.

“Hey!” Kurokami glared at Mio. “What about my share?!”

“We’ll get one to go!” Mio chirped.

“Alright!” Ryan headed to the back. He felt like he wasn’t doing enough of the actual cooking. When he left to the back, he heard a snap of fingers, then… nothing. That was odd. From his experience, he could still hear people talking from the back. He shrugged it off. Well, with magic and all, they’re probably gossiping. Ryan wondered what they were talking about. Boys? No, they didn’t seem the time. Judging Kurokami’s nature, they were probably talking about fighting someone. Ryan shook his head as he started putting the chicken he was cooking in a tub. What they talked about was none of their business.

“Well, it’s nice we came to a conclusion,” Kiara clasped her hands together with a scary smile on her face as Ryan returned from cooking. He’s never seen an expression on Kiara like that before. Everyone, even Kurokami looked slightly freaked out.

“What-,” Ryan stopped himself. “You know what? I don’t even want to know.”

“Probably a good idea,” Brianna supplied as he placed the tub in front of Kurokami.

“Ookami-san, please remember this is for Kurokami-san,” Ryan offered Kurokami a smile.

“Jeez, you sound like a mother,” Kurokami said.

“Probably because I spend so much time babysitting Tenchou,” Ryan muttered.

“Awhhh, you know I appreciate you,” Kiara smiled.

“Well, I guess it’s time for us to go,” Mio stood up. “We still have an appointment with YAGOO, right?”

“Ugh, fine,” Brianna sighed as Mio gave her a glare. “Thank you for the food. It was nice meeting you, Ryan.”

“You too,” As they left, Ryan noticed that there was money where Brianna was sitting at. “At least there are _some_ decent people around here.”

-

“Good evening, Sabrina,” YAGOO and Sabrina were sitting at a table in the Hololive office. A complex expression laid on YAGOO’s face. “Shade predicted this you know.”

“Knowing him, he probably learned divinity and looked the next five days into the future,” Sabrina grumbled. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Either way, introducing yourself as Edhas’s dead sister wasn’t the wisest move,” YAGOO sighed, taking a sip from a “World’s Best Sage” coffee mug.

“I just…” Sabrina looked down at her hands. “I miss him, you know. I love him.”

“You loved who he once was,” YAGOO put a hand on her shoulder. “Look at him. He looks so much happier than he once did. Edhas hated the world. Ryan looks happy where he is.”

“You’re right,” Sabrina heaved a sigh. “I know I’m being selfish… it’s just that…”

“It’s okay to feel feelings,” YAGOO smiled softly as Sabrina trailed off. “I think you need some time to reflect. Seeing him at this point and time isn’t healthy.”

“I guess you’re right…” Sabrina looked up to meet YAGOO’s eyes. “I guess I’ll go back to America.”

“No, you should stay here,” YAGOO said. “Everyone needs a break every now and then.”

Sabrina smiled through her mask. “Thank you, YAGOO.”

-

Ryan dialed Sabrina’s number as he flopped on the bed. “Hey Sabrina,” he said, talking out of instinct. “I had a good day today. I met a wolf girl, an alternate personality, and an odd girl. Magic is really weird. I didn’t know you could split your personality with magic. Well, it’s magic, so I guess you could do anything. That girl, though. She said her name was Brianna. For some reason, she seems familiar. I don’t really have all the answer. Some part of me doesn’t even want to know, to be honest. Well, who knows? I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Ryan hung up, something clicked in his head. The call never went to voicemail.

-

**Day 11: Trip Through Time**

Ryan sighed as he woke up. “I really don’t want to work today,” he muttered to himself. Of course, he loved his job, but there will still days that he was tired and just wanted to sleep all day. As if the universe wanted to make yet another cruel joke, Ryan’s phone rang.

“Morning Ten-,” Ryan really needed to stop trying to talk first when he picks up the phone.

“KIKKERIKIII~!” Kiara exclaimed. “Good morning!”

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said, smiling. Originally, Ryan would find these calls annoying, but now, he found it endearing. “How are you this morning?”

“I’m okay! Calli got to sleep over last night!” Kiara sounded ecstatic when she brought up Calli’s name. Ryan’s smile grew wider. He genuinely found Kiara and Calli’s relationship adorable. “We had a lot of fun last night!”

“We didn’t do anything!” Calli’s voice was faintly heard through the phone.

“Sure,” Ryan muttered to himself. “Are you at the restaurant?”

“Yeah, we’re setting up for today. Calli’s probably not going to stay though,” Kiara said through the phone. “She has work or something.”

“I just don’t want to hang out with you!” Calli’s voice could be heard again.

“Sure,” It was now Kiara’s turn to mutter.

“Anyways, I’ll be there soon,” Ryan said.

“I’ll see you then!” Kiara chirped as Ryan hung up the phone.

-

Ryan totally didn’t walk in on Kiara and Calli totally not snogging and he totally didn’t almost not die when Calli didn’t not swing her magic death scythe at him before leaving.

“Well, that was an experience,” Ryan grumbled as he looked down at the rip in his hoodie.

“It’s your fault for not knocking,” Kiara said as she wiped down the desk.

“The door is made out of glass,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Does it matter?” Kiara asked.

“This is a public establishment.”

“ _Does it matter?_ ”

“I guess not,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “I’m going to get changed.”

“Alright!” Kiara chirped.

Ryan couldn’t help but think about Sabrina as he walked in to get changed. Apparently, she _was_ getting his calls, but refuses to talk back. Ryan wondered if she just didn’t want to talk to him, but if she didn’t, she would have hung up immediately. The situation was just so weird. _I can’t understand any of it,_ Ryan thought to himself as he finished buttoning up his vest. _Well, I can’t think about that now. It’s time to get to work._

 _As Ryan opened the door, a familiar looking woman in a pirate cosplay barged through the_ door. “AHOY~! Captain of the Houshou Pirates, Houshou Marine has arrived!”

“Oh, it’s the lesbian pirate,” Ryan deadpanned. “I’m Ryan Shade. May I take your order?”

“Ah! It’s you!” Marine’s eyes widened as she dramatically pointed at Ryan. “You were the one at the liquor store the other day!”

“Senchou-senpai!” Kiara exclaimed. “You’ve already met my little egg?”

“Please don’t call me that,” Ryan rolled his eyes.

“He didn’t buy me a drink!” Marine pouted.

“I was running errands,” Ryan replied, holding up his hands.

“To be honest, I _did_ ask him to get a bottle for 5th gen,” Kiara said.

“Oh,” Marine’s features slumped for a second before returning to their normal, ecstatic nature. “I see! I’ll let it slide, then.”

“I’m so blessed,” Ryan rolled his eyes again, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

“It’s good that you understand!” If Marine detected the sarcasm, she didn’t give any indications that she did as she dashed over to one of the seats.

“So, what would you like?” Ryan asked. When Kiara’s face started to pale, Ryan looked at her with confusion, but soon regretted his decision.

“What I _would_ like are some doujins, a sexy oneesan, and Flare-chan,” Marine said.

“I mean to eat,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Did I stutter?” Marine asked.

“I guess not. Where are we going to get a sexy oneechan’?” he turned to his boss, using finger quotes. Suddenly, the doors slammed open, revealing a woman in a knight costume literally flying towards Marine, eventually landing a hard punch in the head.

“Fuu-tan is mine!” The knight proclaims loudly as the ring of her fist connecting with Marine’s skull emanates throughout the room.

“Noe-chan,” A dark-skinned elf walked into the room calmly, eyes fixated on the knight and Marine, who was rubbing her head where the knight hit her. “You don’t have to hit everyone who makes a joke.”

“But Fuu-tan,” the knight whined. “It’s _Senchou_.”

“That’s true,” the elf rubbed her chin.

“Pardon the intrusion, but can you please not break any skulls while you’re inside the establishment?” Ryan asked politely. As fun as this was to watch, he was on the clock.

“Ah, I apologize,” The elf bowed slightly. “My name is Shiranui Flare. My friend over here is Shirogane Noel.”

“We’re not friends! Fuu-tan is my husband!” Noel shot her fist in the air.

“Whatever you say,” Ryan muttered to himself before raising his voice. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you two. May I take your orders?”

“Gyudon!” Noel cheered as she sat beside Marine. “I’ll have 15 bowls of Gyudon, please!”

Ryan looked at Flare. “15? Is that okay?”

“I’ll have one for myself, please,” Flare nodded.

“Okay,” Ryan mumbled.

“I’ll cook it!” Kiara raised her hand.

“Shouldn’t I be the one doing the cooking?” Ryan asked.

“You don’t know where the doujins are, so I might as well do the cooking,” Kiara responded.

“Wait, you were serious about the doujin thing?” Ryan turned to Marine.

“Where else am I supposed to get it?” She shrugged.

“I don’t know, online?” Ryan suggested.

“Wait,” Marine looked at Ryan with a blank expression. “You’re right.”

Ryan facefaulted. “Ya think?!”

“So, how’s working with Kiara-chan?” Flare asked. Though she refused to show it, she was desperate to change the subject.

“She’s quite something,” Ryan smiled fondly. “She calls me every day at the crack of dawn and works me to the bone every day, even though she sometimes forgets she’s at work. She’s overly clingy with customers and has no sense of professionalism. Despite that, working with her has probably been the best thing that has ever happened to me. She genuinely cares about my well-being and treats me like a true friend. If you ask me, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

“I see,” Flare nodded her head approvingly. “That’s really nice.”

“You’re lucky!” Marine chimed in, her cheeks flushed. “I would _love_ to spend every day with Kiara-chan!”

“I’m sure Calliope-san would appreciate that,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Gyudon! Gyudon!” Meanwhile, Noel was in a completely different realm, chanting excitedly about her beef bowls.

“Is that normal?” Ryan looked at Flare, gesturing at Noel’s antics.

“It’s kind of cute, really,” Flare giggled.

“Fuu-tan thinks I’m cute?!” Noel gasped, her eyes turning into hearts as he turned and tackled Flare into a hug. “I love you Fuu-tan!”

“Please, Noe-chan,” Flare tried to push off Noel to no avail. “Not in public!”

“Gyudon!” Like an angel descending from heaven like Kanata less-than-gracefully falling off the Heaven Academy diving board, Kiara arrived, Kiara balanced a stack of books and a bunch of beef bowls on one tray before placing it down in front of the three girls.

“GYUDON!” Noel grabbed a bowl and started to scarf it down. Within a few seconds, she set the empty bowl aside and grabbed another one.

“Is that normal?” Ryan gestured to the gluttonous knight and the pirate literally drooling over doujinshi. “I swear, that question is going to be my catchphrase before long.”

“It’s quite endearing,” Flare offered Ryan a smile as she took a bite of Gyudon at a normal pace, much to Ryan’s relief.

“If you told me that two weeks ago, I would have laughed at you, but at this point, I’m starting to understand what you mean,” Ryan smiled back. “You know, you’re one of the more mature ones that I’ve met.”

“All of us are capable of being mature when needed. The world is harsh to us. Having a place to let loose our true personalities and to unwind is nice,” Flare looked down at her half-eaten Gyudon, taking another bite.

“I’m sorry if I came off as insensitive,” Ryan bowed slightly. He knew he could never understand what it was like to be a magical being in today’s world, or in general and he didn’t want to come off as insensitive. “I’m still new to all this. I don’t really understand all the dynamics.”

“It’s okay,” Flare offered him a soft smile. “You’ll understand soon enough.”

“I guess I will,” Ryan reasoned. After spending enough time with Kiara, he will eventually get it, right?

“Thank you for the food!” Marine and Noel said at once. To Ryan’s absolute shock, all of the bowls were completely empty, and Marine seemed to have read all of the doujins.

“How did you do that?” Ryan asked, his face in complete shock.

“I exercise a lot!” Noel chirped, flexing her arm for visual effect.

“I… exercise a lot…” Marine’s cheeks flushed as she offered Ryan a wink.

“Sure,” Ryan rolled his eyes.

“Fuu-tan! Let’s go to a love hotel!” Noel tugged on Flare’s arm. “Please~?”

“Can I join?” Marine asked.

“No to both of you, but we can go see a movie,” Flare offered.

“That’s good enough for me!” Noel chirped, tugging on her arm harder.

“It was nice meeting you three,” Ryan smiled at their antics. “Please come back soon.”

“We will!” Noel exclaimed as she finally managed to pull Flare off her seat, dragging her out of the restaurant.

“Wait for me!” Marine ran off after them. After a couple moments on silence, both Ryan and Kiara started laughing. Today was a good day.

-

“It’s been a while,” YAGOO and a hooded figure stood atop a tall peak as thunder could be heard from the clouds below. “You don’t usually ask me for anything.”

“I have to depart from this world soon,” the hooded man replied. “It’s calling me back.”

“I see,” YAGOO replied. He remembers the hooded man constantly referencing ‘it’, though he has no idea what ‘it’ could possibly mean. “I suspect that you want something from me.”

With a quick motion, the hooded man unsheathed a weapon, a knife with a serpentine curve. “This kris has served me for many centuries,” he said, spinning the weapon in his hand. “I would be doing her an injustice if I took her with me. She would not thrive where I am going.”

“I see” YAGOO lied, remaining wary. He and the hooded man had helped each other in numerous situations, but he didn’t exactly have Yagoo’s full trust. “I assume you want me to take it?”

“I will be performing a ritual to be giving her a human body,” the hooded man replied, causing Yagoo’s eyes widened with shocked. In his years of mastery in magic, he never heard of such a ritual. “She deserves to have a life of her own. I want you to take care of her.”

“Consider it done,” YAGOO replied. He wouldn’t deny another member added into the Hololive Initiative.

“I owe you a great debt,” the hooded man sheathed the weapon and bowed.

“Consider us even for helping me talk down Matusri,” Yagoo replied, shuddering as he remembered the incident with the goddess. “Before I go, may I ask her name?”

“Anya.”

-

Aloe sat in a ceaseless void, a reclining chair and a bento box being the only sense of color for miles. As she ate, the sounds of wind blowing interrupted her meal. “Morning, Storm,” she took another bite from her self-made bento box. “Is it morning anyways? What were you doing in the real world?”

“I gave YAGOO Anya,” The hooded figure behind Aloe replied.

“Why would you do that after all these millennia?” Aloe turned, a confused expression on your face. “Are you preparing for something?”

“Call it an experiment,” Storm replied, looking up. “I wonder if I’ll get her back.”

“Get her back?” Aloe only looked more confused. “You just gave her away.”

Storm smiled under his hood. “Exactly.”

-

Ryan sighed as he looked at his phone. Should he call Sabrina? It was obvious she didn’t want to talk. Maybe he could take a break, just this once.

-

Sabrina sat and waited for Ryan’s call. She loved hearing about his day. It gave her a sense of normalcy. _Huh, that’s weird_ , Sabrina thought as she looked at her phone. _He should have called me by now._

She looked out the window of the spare streaming room at the bright lights of the city. _I’m sure he’ll call soon. I believe in him._

-

**Day 12: Managers**

“RYAN! RYAN!” Kiara shouted through the phone, causing Ryan to move the phone away.

“You alright, Tenchou?” Ryan asked. “You sound… distressed.”

“Distressed?! DISTRESSED?! OF COURSE I’M DISTRESSED!” Kiara shouted. “MY MANAGER IS COMING TODAY! AND EVEN WORSE, _HER_ MANAGER IS COMING!”

“Wait,” Ryan sighed. “I thought you were a CEO. How can you have a manager?”

“I told you that this is my side gig,” Kiara said, noticeably calmer. “I’m an idol.”

“Sure, you are,” Ryan rolled his eyes.

“You know what?” Kiara sighed. “You don’t need to believe me. All you need to know is that some really powerful people are going to show up and you need to be here 5 minutes ago.”

“Yes Tenchou,” Ryan sighed. “I’ll be there.”

-

Ryan ran into through the door to see two people already sitting on the counter, who turned to look at him. One was a girl with glasses, wearing a black T-shirt with “Hololive” written on it, while the other was a woman with a spiky ponytail, a hoodie tied to her waist, and a katana sheathed at her side.

“Good morning,” Ryan bowed slightly. He didn’t know if these were the esteemed guests that Kiara was talking about, but he did not want to take any chances. “I apologize for being late. I was notified to come at this time at short notice. My name is Ryan Shade, and I am an employee of this establishment.”

The woman with the katana glared at Ryan. A couple of tense eye-contact later, she let out a hearty laugh. “Kiara-chan picked someone with actual manners! Color me impressed!” She gave Ryan a wide smile. “Nice to meet you, Ryan. People call me Enma.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Enma-san,” Ryan smiled back.

“People call me A-Chan,” the girl in glasses said, offering Ryan a soft, yet professional smile as she pushed her glasses up. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“People are talking about me?” Ryan asked, intrigued.

“You’ve made quite the impression on the people who’ve walked through these doors,” A-Chan replied. “Though some powerful figures have taken an interest in you.”

“Huh,” Ryan scratched the back of his head. “Maybe that’s why I feel like I’m constantly being watched.”

“Perhaps,” Enma’s smile turned feral. “Say, Suisei-chan said you fight well. Want to go a couple rounds?”

“With all due respect, I’m not too much of a fighter,” Ryan held up his hands. “I merely know how to defend myself.”

“You’re too modest!” Enma exclaimed. “I was told you took on three thugs without so much as a scratch.”

“I took them by surprise,” Ryan said calmly.

“RYAN! WHY HAVEN’T YOU CHANGED YET?!” Kiara’s voice could be heard from the back.

“Sorry about Tenchou,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “She’s a bit on edge right now.”

The two girls looked at each other before laughing, A-Chan softly giggling while Enma laughed loudly. “We know.”

-

Ryan opened the door, fully changed to see Enma and A-Chan casually chatting with Amelia. “Morning, Amelia,” Ryan deduced that much like him, Amelia probably didn’t like people adding suffixes to her name.

“Sup-,” Amelia interrupted herself with a hiccup before sipping on some tea.

“Are you sure you don’t want medicine for your excessive hiccupping?” Enma asked.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Amelia replied before hiccupping again. “It’s funny.”

“Morning, Ryan!” Kiara walked over from the back with two tubs of fried chicken.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan cracked his back. “Are you over your nerves now?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kiara smiled brightly at Ryan before placing the tubs of chicken before Amelia and in between Enma and A-chan.

“So, did you go to the festival?” Amelia turned her attention to Ryan.

“What festival?” Ryan asked.

“He doesn’t know,” Kiara winked at Amelia, who gave her signature gremlin laugh and nodded.

“Nevermind, then,” Amelia sipped her tea.

“Alright, keep you secrets,” Ryan sighed. As soon as Amelia took a bite of fried chicken, she screamed, fire jutting out of her mouth.

“What the hell, Kiara!” Amelia tried to ease the spice with her tea, but that only succeeded to burn her tongue more. “I ordered _mild_!”

“C’mon!” Kiara managed between laughs. “It was funny!”

“I’ll get you for that!” Amelia moved her hand towards her clock. Somehow, Ryan knew something bad was going to happen. Suddenly, space started to contort around Ryan. He stumbled over, grabbing his head. When he regained his senses, he saw Kiara on floor face down, what was supposed to be Amelia’s tub of chicken scattered on the floor. Amelia was gremlin laughing while A-Chan and Enma ignored them as if this was a common occurrence.

“You okay, Ryan?” A-Chan turned her attention towards him.

“Yeah,” Ryan massaged his temples. “What just happened?”

“Well, Kiara-chan tripped over air and spilt Amelia’s chicken and then you hunched over in pain,” A-Chan explained.

“But-,” Ryan stared, but decided not to say anything. “I just got a bad headache. I’m alright.”

“Alright,” A-Chan nodded, but it was obvious to Ryan that she didn’t believe him.

“That’s what you get for trying to give Phoenix Fire Wings when I ordered mild!” Amelia shouted victoriously.

“How did you know?!” Kiara whiled as she stood up. “I only thought of that just now!”

“My magic clock told me,” Amelia answered, as if that answered everything.

“Stupid omniscient magic clock,” Kiara grumbled to herself.

 _What the hell?_ Ryan thought to himself. Clearly, something wasn’t right, but he decided not to ask questions. Not a lot of things were right at this KFP.

“I’ll clean it up,” Ryan offered, crouching down to start putting the ruined fried chicken in the tub that Kiara dropped.

-

Meanwhile, somewhere in Britain, a man was sitting in a bar. His black, spiky hair was unruly and tangled, despite not being too long. He wore a blue trench coat over a checkered shirt and an eyepatch rested on his left eye. As space distorted around him, the shot glass disappeared in front of him. He scowled. “Ame, you shouldn’t be using that for petty things,” he grumbled to himself. He then raised his hand up slightly to hail the bartender. “Hey, old man! Get me a shot of Dragonson Liquor!”

As a shot glass slid across the table, he caught it, downing the alcohol in one go. “Man, I could really use some of that pork stew right about now. I wonder how it would go with smoked tarantula,” he rubbed his chin. “Sounds delicious.”

-

Ryan sighed as he pulled a batch of fried chicken out of the fryer. He really shouldn’t be complaining, considering he kept on demanding to spend more time in the kitchen as he didn’t really do much, but why did _he_ have to cook the replacement tub of chicken when _Kiara_ was the one who tried and failed to prank Amelia.

“How _is_ he?” He heard A-Chan ask.

“He’s alright,” Kiara’s voice could be heard responding to her question. “I’m not sure how much of his memory has come back, if any. He hasn’t unlocked magic, as you can tell, but Yo-chan went to visit him not too long ago.”

“Who are you talking about?” Ryan walked into the room, placing the mild wings in front of Amelia.

“No one,” Kiara said, but Ryan knew Kiara well enough to know that she was lying.

“You sure about that?” Ryan narrowed his eyes.

“Well…” Kiara looked at A-Chan nervously.

“A powerful mage is currently going though an… advanced form of therapy,” A-Chan replied. “This information could potentially be dangerous. It would be best if you forgot it.”

“Nah, we should test if he’s strong enough to protect himself!” Enma smiled. “Hey kid! Fight me!”

“I’ll have to pass,” Ryan sighed. “Forgetting I heard anything is probably less painful.”

“You got that *hic* right,” Amelia shuddered. “Enma-san is scary.”

“I’m not _that_ bad!” Enma protested.

“You decapitated Watame-san!” Amelia shouted, looking horrified at the memory.

“She respawned!” Enma shot back.

“Yeah, I’ll pass,” Ryan said.

“Sure, whatever,” Enma groaned. “But when you get your hands on a sword, I’m totally dueling you!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan waived his hand. Where the hell would he get a sword anyways?

Suddenly, something vibrated in A-Chan’s pocket. She took out her phone and sighed. “YAGOO did something again. I need to go help him out.”

“Ooh! Can I come?!” Enma shot her hand in the air excitedly.

“Of course, Enma-chan,” A-Chan smiled calmly as they stood up. “Thank you for the meal.”

“No problem,” Kiara smiled softly as the two left. As they did, Gura ran into the restaurant and tacked Amelia.

“There you are!” Gura hugged Amelia tightly. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Sorry, I just had to deal with a prankster over here,” she shot Kiara a glare, causing Ryan to snicker, patting his boss on the shoulder as she pouted.

“So, when are we going on our date?” Gura asked.

“Well why don’t you two have your date here?” Kiara asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“No way!” Amelia looked flabbergasted. “I am _not_ having a date in my co-worker’s establishment!”

“I thought you were a CEO,” Ryan said to Kiara. “Jeez, now I have two catchphrases.”

“Nevermind that!” Kiara chirped.

“Let’s go!” Gura dragged Amelia out of the restaurant.

“Well,” Ryan said, turning to Kiara. “That was interesting.”

-

Sabrina was watching a rerun of Hololive’s second festival when YAGOO walked into the room, a small girl at his side. For some reason, the girl’s aura felt familiar as her ocean blue eyes met her purple eyes.

“Who’s this, YAGOO?” The girl asked. “I feel like I’ve met her before.”

“You may very well have,” YAGOO smiled at the small girl. “This is Sabrina Godson. Sabrina, this is Anya Melfissa. An acquaintance of mine asked me to take care of her.”

“Nice to meet you, Anya,” Sabrina smiled. Anya… wasn’t that the name Zero gave to his weapon? She couldn’t remember too well. After all, Zero died four years ago.

“Nice to meet you too, Sabrina,” Anya said before turning her attention to the screen. “What is that?”

“Oh!” Sabrina turned as Fubuki ran onto the stage. “Come! Shirakami-san is about to sing her original song!”

Curiously, Anya sat next to Sabrina and watched the fox (cat?) girl’s performance, her eyes brightening as she watched. “This is amazing!”

“I know, right?” Sabrina smiled at the shorter girl. Anya stared at the screen with wonder. Maybe being a human wasn’t so bad after all.

-

Ryan sighed as he entered his apartment. He flopped on his bed, taking out his phone. He dialed up Sabrina’s number. For some reason, idol music started playing through the phone. “Hey, Sabrina,” Ryan sighed. “I don’t know if that music is you, but whatever. I got to meet Tenchou’s manager, whatever that means. She’s a CEO. How can she have a manager? Anyways, other than that, nothing all too interesting happened today. I mean, I thought I started hallucinating, though. One second, Amelia was burning her tongue on tea and the next, Kiara was on the floor with spilt chicken. I don’t know what happened, but something wasn’t right then. I might talk to Amelia about it, but I’m not sure I’ll see her again any time soon. Gura-san seemed really enthusiastic about that date. Anyways, I have an early day tomorrow. Night, Sabrina.”

-

**Day 13: Meeting the Man**

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara shouted through the phone. “Today is a very special day, Ryan!”

“What is it today?” Ryan asked.

“YAGOO is visiting the store today!” Kiara exclaimed. “I’m so excited!”

“Who’s YAGOO?” Ryan asked.

“He’s a really cool sage!” Kiara chirped. “He’s super strong and super easy to make fun of!”

“Shouldn’t you _not_ make fun of powerful people?” Ryan asked, facepalming at the memory of Kiara freaking out over A-Chan and Enma.

“Usually, but YAGOO is fun to joke about!” Kiara replied.

“Alright, I’ll be there soon,” Ryan sighed, hanging up the phone. Something told him today was going to be interesting.

-

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he walked into the restaurant. Kiara was waiting for him at the counter.

“Hey, Ryan!” Kiara smiled as he entered the store. “Did you sleep alright last night?”

“Yeah,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “Actually, I’ve been sleeping a lot better ever since I started working here.”

“Maybe it’s because I work you so hard!” Kiara exclaimed. “Maybe I should work you harder so you can sleep better!”

“I’ll pass,” Ryan grumbled as he walked over to the counter. “I’m going to go get changed.”

“Suit yourself!” Kiara chirped as Ryan entered the break room.

As Ryan got changed, a man and a small girl walked into the store. The man was wearing a business suit and tie and looked around 30-40 years old but looked otherwise completely normal. The girl had purple eyes and long, brown hair. “Good morning,” the man said, smiling at him and Kiara, who was wiping down the counter. “It’s been a while, Kiara-chan.”

“YAGOO!” Kiara shouted as the two sat down. “Who’s this? A new idol? That’s exciting! I’m Takanashi Kiara! It’s nice to meet you! What’s your name? Do you sing? Do you draw? I can’t wait to see your debut!”

“My name is Anya Melfissa…” The small girl looked down shyly, obviously overwhelmed by Kiara’s flow of questions. “I… uh…”

“Tenchou, you’re overwhelming her,” Ryan put a hand on his boss’s shoulder before turning to the small girl. “My name is Ryan Shade. Don’t mind my boss, here. She’s just excited to meet someone new. It’s nice to meet you, Anya-chan.”

“N-nice to meet you too,” Anya looked up, forcing a smile.

“I’m caring for Anya for the time being,” the one named YAGOO replied. “My name is Tanigo Motoaki. It’s nice to finally meet you, Ryan.”

“Likewise,” Ryan shook the man’s hand. “Tenchou has said a lot about you.”

“Has she now?” YAGOO chuckled. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

“Anyways!” Kiara cut in before Ryan could say anything about her. “What would you two like to eat today?”

“I’ll just have some mild chicken wings,” YAGOO replied.

“I’ll have what YAGOO is having,” Anya mumbled.

“Alright! I’ll go make it!” Kiara rushed over to the back.

“But-,” by the time Ryan opened his mouth to protest, his boss was already gone. “Whatever.”

“Ryan,” Anya said, catching Ryan’s attention. “What’s it like being a human?”

Ryan thought for a moment. Sure, it was an odd question to ask, but being a magical being and being a human are two vastly different things with vastly different lifestyles, so maybe it wasn’t all too odd. “Honestly, my experience hasn’t been too good until recently,” he answered honestly. “My memory concerning anything past a couple years is really fuzzy, but my life wasn’t all too great until recently. Until I got this job, I would spend my time alone with my thoughts. It really wasn’t fun after a while, but after I got this job, I met a lot of great people and made a bunch of friends. Meeting everyone certainly helped me see life in a more positive light.”

“I see,” Anya said, seemingly deep in thought.

“It seems that things have been going well for you here,” YAGOO said.

“Things _have_ started to look up for me since I started this job,” Ryan said, looking into the distance. “Not that my life was exactly the best before I got here, but I think I have found what I needed to become truly happy.”

“I see,” YAGOO nodded his head thoughtfully.

At this point, Kiara came back with two tubs of chicken, placing them in front of her two customers. “Here you go!”

“Thank you, Kiara-chan,” YAGOO smiled softly at the CEO. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Ryan, but I have somewhere to be.”

“Bye!” Anya stood up, bowing before she turned around to follow YAGOO out the door.

“That was anticlimactic,” Ryan said.

“Yeah,” Kiara said. “But tomorrow is going to be great!”

“What’s going on tomorrow?” Ryan asked.

“You’ll see,” Kiara winked.

-

After dropping off Anya back at the Hololive HQ to hang out with Sabrina, he opened a portal to America for a meeting. He sat across from a hooded figure his face unreadable. “Good evening, Shade,” he said.

“I assume you met Edhas, then,” Shade, the hooded man replied. “How was he?”

“He seems to be content with his current life,” YAGOO replied. “He’s been working at Kiara-chan’s establishment for the past couple weeks.”

“How are the girls reacting to him?” Shade asked.

“They’ve been receiving him very well,” YAGOO replied. “He’s made a lot of friends and they seem to be affecting him as positively as he’s affecting them.”

“I see,” Shade nodded his head. “Do you think he’s ready?”

“I do,” YAGOO said, a strong resolve shining in his eyes.

“Good,” Shade stood up. “Go notify Godslayer. He shall receive his memories tomorrow.”

-

“Where did you go?” Sabrina asked as YAGOO walked in. She and Anya were watching one of Fubuki’s recent livestreams. Anya looked ecstatic, clearly idolizing the cat (fox?) girl. Sabrina just calmly watched the stream alongside Anya, not caring to look at the man as he walked in.

“Shade gave the thumbs up to do it tomorrow,” YAGOO replied.

“He did?!” Sabrina jumped up from the couch to look at YAGOO, Anya looking at her with confusion.

“Yes,” YAGOO replied. “I just need to contact another source to return his magic.”

“Why can’t I just do it?” Sabrina asked curiously.

“The seal is a very advanced seal. There aren’t many people in the world that can do it,” YAGOO replied.

“I see,” Sabrina thought on his words for a moment. “I’ve never been really good at seal-work anyways.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back,” YAGOO said, before snapping his fingers and vanishing.

-

“Storm,” YAGOO appeared in an endless void before a cloaked figure. “It’s time.”

“Time, you say,” Storm had his back faced to YAGOO. “Perhaps it is, but perhaps not.”

“We’ve all agreed on it,” YAGOO said. “It’s going to happen tomorrow.”

“Time is such a fickle thing in the endless void,” Storm replied. “I shall be there, but not all things are in our control.”

“What are you implying?” YAGOO asked. Even as a sage, YAGOO sometimes could not decipher what the hooded man was saying. Of course, Storm was not one bound by the laws of physics, nature, or magic, so anyone would have a hard time understanding him.

“What I say is up for your interpretation,” Storm turned to face YAGOO. “But know your actions will dictate what will happen to him, and what will happen to the rest of the world.”

“I have accepted that burden long ago,” YAGOO said confidently.

“But can you live with the consequences?” Storm asked. Before YAGOO could reply, he vanished with a gust of wind. Storm turned around and sighed. “What will become of his dimension, I wonder?”

-

Ryan had spent the better part of an hour on his computer. He looked at the clock and sighed. _Time for bed_ , he thought as he turned off his computer. He stood up, stretching before walking over to bed and picking up his phone.

“I guess I should call,” Ryan sat down on his bed and dialed up Sabrina’s number. When it went to voicemail, he sighed again.

“Hey, Sabrina,” Ryan said, laying down on the bed. “I don’t know what’s happening tomorrow, but Tenchou thinks it’s something important. She refuses to tell me anything, though. I got to meet this guy named Tanigo Motoaki. For some reason, everyone calls him YAGOO. He seemed normal, but he’s kind of mysterious to be honest. He kept on asking me questions before just up and leaving. I don’t really know what to think about him, but I think I’m going to stay weary of him. Anyways, that’s all for today. I’m going to go. Goodnight, Sabrina.”

As he hung up the phone, he put it back on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling. “I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.”

-

**Day 14: Return**

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara exclaimed her normal greeting through the phone. “You sleep well?”

“Yeah,” Ryan smiled. “What about you?”

“I slept alright,” Kiara replied. “You ready for today?”

“Why, what’s going on today?” Ryan asked. He had a feeling nagging at him since yesterday about what would happen.

“You’re coming here to work,” Kiara deadpanned.

“Very funny,” Ryan sighed. “Whatever, I’ll see you in a few.”

-

The first thing Ryan noticed that all the windows were covered. Even the glass doors were covered by paper. _What the hell?_ Ryan thought to himself. He figured that _something_ was happening if all the windows were covered. It’s as if Kiara didn’t want Ryan to see what was on the other side. Ryan sighed to himself and opened the door.

“Alright, I’ll bite. What the hell-,”

“SURPRISE!” A group of almost people shouted at once, all the blinds and covers being raised and/or torn down. Ryan immediately recognized their faces one by one. Calli, Gura, Amelia, Ina, Korone, Okayu, Rushia, Ollie, Fubuki, Matsuri, Coco, Kanata, Suisei, Miko, Pekora, Subaru, Choco, Aqua, Shion, Ayame, Botan, Lamy, Nene, Polka, Mio, Noel, Flare, Marine, and even Brianna decided to show up. As Ryan processed the situation, Kiara walked up to him and gave him a big hug.

“We all wanted to thank you for working with us for two weeks, so we decided to put together a little surprise party,” Kiara said as she pulled away, looking Ryan in the eye. “It’s been a lot of fun working with you and we’re all really happy that you decided to stay.”

“I…” Ryan’s voice faltered. He rubbed his eyes, sniffling a little bit. “Thank you.”

“Alright,” Kiara smiled. “Let the party begin!”

Ryan smiled as he went to the back to get changed. Even if they were celebrating him, he wanted to help out. He couldn’t leave Kiara to do everything by herself. He stepped out to the counter where Gura, Ina, Calli, and Amelia were sitting there chatting with Kiara, just like Ryan’s first day.

“Yeah, Ryan caught Calli and I making out the other day!” Kiara exclaimed.

“Kusotori, please don’t tell them about that,” Calli looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her right there and then.

“Hey, you’re not the one that almost died,” Ryan walked over to join the conversation. “It _was_ a funny experience, though.”

“Finally!” Amelia slammed the table with her open palm. “We’ve been waiting for concrete evidence on their relationship for _months_! Months, I tell you!’

“It’s nice to see their relationship _take flight_ ,” Ina nodded, causing Gura, Ina, and Kiara to laugh. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t _go up in flames_.”

 _Probably another inside joke,_ Ryan thought to himself as he turned to Korone, Okayu, and Fubuki who were sitting next to Calli.

“You know, Koro-san would love it if you-,”

“Not falling for that again, Nekomata-san,” Ryan said, though he almost was willing to give Korone his yubis because of the puppy eyes she was giving him. “How are you, Shirakami-san?”

“We are _friends_!” Fubuki shook her head. “Please call me Fubuki.”

“Same here,” Okayu said.

“I’ll let you call me Korone if you give me your yubis!” Korone chirped.

“I’ll pass if that’s the cost,” Ryan said.

“Fine!” Korone pouted. “You can call me Korone if you want.”

“Thank you, Korone-san,” Ryan smiled.

“Hey Ryan!” Kiara called over. “Yo-chan wants to tell you something!”

“Takanashi-san!” Brianna scolded her.

“C’mon! Just get it out already!” Kiara laughed wholeheartedly. “It’s easier if you do!”

“What is it, Yo-chan?” Ryan walked over and looked at Brianna.

“Actually, I _do_ have something to tell you…” Brianna moved her hand towards her mask. “My name isn’t Brianna Edhas. My name is-,”

Brianna was cut off by a sharp gasp from Kiara. “Someone broke the barrier!”

“What?!” Calli looked shocked. “That’s impossible! YAGOO made that barrier!”

Ryan then looked over to one of the upper windows and saw the faint image of a helicopter approaching. For some reason, his senses screamed at him to run. That this helicopter was bad news. His legs moved on their own. He jumped over, tacking Kiara. If it was nothing, he could explain that to her later. Unfortunately, that thought perished as a loud gunshot could be heard. The last thing Ryan heard was the sound of shattering glass and Kiara screaming before a sharp pain hit his temple and then, nothing.

-

**Day 15: Culture Shock**

The jarring sound of an alarm clock woke Ryan. He sat up, frantically looking around. “A dream?” He asked himself. He then looked over to his phone, grabbing it. It wasn’t a phone call from Kiara, like he expected, but it was an alarm. He would have questioned it if the clock didn’t say 5:30 am. Kiara would always call him at five in the morning and he would be there no later than 5:15.

“Crap!” He shut off the alarm and shoved the phone in his pocket. He grabbed his hoodie and threw it on himself. He frantically looked around for his wallet, grabbing it and running for the door. He was halfway through the hallway when he forgot his shoes. He cursed to himself before running back and grabbing his shoes, putting it on frantically. Today was already having a great start.

-

“What would you like for breakfast, Anemachi?” Suisei asked her sister. Since Suisei had been spending so much time indoors streaming, Anemachi insisted on having breakfast outdoors. “This _was_ your idea, after all.”

“Hmm…” Anemachi rubbed her chin. “I heard there was this great Gyudon place down the street.”

As they turned the corner, someone suddenly ran into Suisei, causing both of them to stumble back. The person who ran into her scrambled to his feet, looking around frantically before offering her a hand.

“Sorry, Hoshimachi-san, I would love to stay and chat, but I’m late,” The boy said as he started to run off. “Feel free to stop by any time!”

After a few seconds of silence, Anemachi finally spoke up. “Have you two met before? I’ve never seen him around.”

“No,” Suisei shook her head, looking at the direction where the boy ran off to. “I don’t think I have.”

-

As Ryan ran through the alleyway, a wave of nausea hit him, causing him to stumble over. “Damn!” Ryan hissed as he got to his feet. “I haven’t felt nausea that bad since my first day!”

Kiara had explained to him that there was a barrier surrounding the KFP that deterred normal people and people with mal intent, and that the nausea he felt was him crossing through the barrier every day. As time went on, Ryan started to feel less and less nausea from crossing the barrier, but for some reason, the nausea hit him with full force.

He sighed, reasoning that he could walk the rest of the way. He dusted his sweats and started walking. It didn’t take too long for him to arrive to the KFP. Ryan stopped as soon as he walked out the alley. Something wasn’t right. The tungsten plating that was added on for when Coco visited were not there. What worried Ryan more was that the lights were off. The lights were _never_ off. As he walked over to pull the door open, he heard the soft sound of wind brushing his ears.

“KIKKERIKIII~!” Kiara’s voice permeated the area. Ryan didn’t jump, though. He was far too used to hearing her morning call over the phone. Instead, he smiled, turning to meet his boss.

“Morning, Tenchou,” he said. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Late? You’re early,” Kiara tilted her head in confusion. “Nevermind that! Let me unlock the door for you. Your clothes are in the break room.”

“I knew that,” Ryan muttered under his breath as he followed her into the store. He remembered his dream as he walked in. The place was so full and vibrant. A smile grew on his face as he remembered everyone. Korone and Okayu happily chatting amongst each other with Fubuki watching, a mischievous glint in her eye. Coco, Kanata, and Suisei happily laughing with a huge pot and an unreal amount of pork stew on the table. Shion and Aqua bickering while Choco and Subaru tried to break them up. Botan, Nene, Lamy, and Polka sitting at a table together, exchanging words over sake. Noel and Flare casually flirting while Marine and Matsuri giggled at each other, occasionally shooting the couple looks. Calli, Amelia, Gura, Kiara, and him talking about embarrassing moments as Calli covered her face with embarrassment. He missed that dream. He sighed, shaking his head. That moment will come one day. For now, he needed to change.

-

As Ryan finished changing his uniform, he walked out just in time for Calli to appear in a cloud of black mist. “Morning, Calliope-san,” he casually greeted the Shinigami, a cool smile on his face, getting a wine and a wineglass from one of the cupboards below the counter. “The usual, I assume?”

“Y-yeah,” Calli looked a bit shocked as Ryan poured her a glass of wine before looking at Kiara. “You got someone to work for you _and_ he already knows about my preferences? I’m impressed, Kusotori.”

“No, actually,” Kiara looked at Ryan, confused. “How _did_ you know?”

“C’mon, we’ve met before,” Ryan said, leaving the bottle on the counter, knowing Calli would go for more before long. “You alright, Tenchou?”

“Yeah. Well, that doesn’t matter. There are more important things to deal with, such as…” Kiara jumped over the counter, tackling Calli in a hug. “Calli!”

“Guh!” Calli grunted as Kiara collided into her. She used her free hand to attempt to push Kiara off her. “Get off, Kusotori!”

“Tenchou, we’re on the clock,” Ryan sighed. He remembered his first day, when he asked Kiara if he needed to call the cops. He resisted the urge to chuckle. He felt like a completely different person from the person he was back then.

“Ah! I’m sorry!” Kiara walked around the counter, stopping besides Ryan.

“Honestly, I expected you to call the cops or something,” Calli said to Ryan. “That’s what most people would do if some woman with a scythe appeared out of nowhere.”

“Well, I can’t do that to my boss’s _girlfriend_ , now can I?” Ryan winked at Calli.

“W-where did you get _that_ idea?!” Calli recoiled in shock, her face beet red. “We are _not_ dating!”

“Calli~,” Kiara pouted, faking a hurt expression as she made her two index fingers touch. “Why must you hurt me like so?”

“Shut up!” Calli gripped her scythe and swung it at her. Ryan tackled her, moving her out of the way, but a bit of his uniform was scratched.

“Sorry about that, Tenchou,” Ryan stood up instantly and looked at Calli. “I would appreciate it if there wasn’t any fighting at this establishment.”

“F-fine,” Ryan must have looked at least a _little_ intimidating because Calli just huffed and sat down.

“That was appreciated, but you didn’t have to do that,” Kiara said, standing up. “You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Wouldn’t have been the first time,” Ryan muttered to himself.

“Anyways, when are the others coming?” Calli asked, sipping her wine.

“Right about…” Kiara paused as the doors flew open. “Now.”

“Sup!” Gura flew through the doors. “C’mon, Ame! You can’t just stand there and mope!”

“I’ll just stay here…” Amelia’s voice could be heard from outside. “Give me a few minutes…”

“Don’t worry,” Ina said as she followed Gura in. “She’ll be with is In-a minute.”

Kiara, Gura, and Ina laughed at her bad joke while Kiara just rolled her eyes. “I’ll talk to her,” Ryan sighed as he went around. Before any of them could protest, he was outside. He looked around to see Amelia sitting by the alleyway. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were red and puffy, huge bags weighing them down. Ryan sighed and sat next to Amelia.

“What’s up, Amelia?” Ryan asked. “You’re not usually like this.”

Amelia looked up at him, a combination of shock and hope through her eyes. “You’re here too?”

“What do you mean? I’m sitting right here,” Ryan said.

“No, I mean like…” Amelia shook her head. “You have your memory?”

“We both know I have a memory problem,” Ryan grumbled, referring to his amnesia.

“Well, you could’ve fooled me,” Amelia sighed, wiping her eyes. “I travelled two weeks into the past, your first day, and here you are. You shouldn’t even know me.”

“You _what_?” Ryan asked, shocked.

“What else could I do!” Amelia shouted, causing Ryan to recoil slightly. “You were dead! So many people were dead! You got shot in the head! Then they came and raided the place, guns blazing! Everyone who wasn’t immortal or bulletproof died instantly… I was lucky to have reached my clock in time… If not…”

Ryan could only look at Amelia as she dissolved into tears. He sighed. He could have his existential crisis later. He wrapped his arms around Amelia in an attempt to comfort her. “It’s okay. I’m alive now. We’ll get through this.”

-

Sabrina’s eyes flew open. She knew something was wrong. She jumped out of bed and dashed into the living room. She saw Shade sitting on the couch, his good eye shining in the candlelight as he sat, supporting his head with his knuckles while his elbows rested on his legs. “What happened?” Sabrina asked.

“Time has been altered,” Shade replied, causing Sabrina to gasp.

“If that’s the case…” Sabrina’s voice faltered. “There’s only one person that is capable of doing that…”

“Something must have gone terribly wrong in Japan,” Shade said.

“Edhas…” Sabrina whispered, looking down. What could have possibly happened for Amelia to turn back time to such an extent? Usually, she would only turn back time a few seconds or minutes, causing space to distort around them as the future changed, but if they can only sense the flow of the time stream being disrupted, then she must have travelled back at least a week.

“Godslayer,” Shade looked up to meet Sabrina’s eyes. “Go to Japan and see what’s happening. I’m afraid that this test must be postponed.”

-

In Britain, a guy in his chair snapped awake, subsequently falling over, his hand hitting a shot glass full of alcohol, causing it to spill. “Damn it!” He exclaimed, reaching for the desk to pull himself up.

“So, she used it, huh?” He asked himself as he stood up. “I guess I have to go to Japan to see what’s going on, now. I better get some of Haato-chan’s cooking, though.”

-

“Are you feeling a bit better?” Ryan asked as Amelia pulled away.

“A bit,” Amelia said, wiping her eyes.

“What happened?” Ryan asked.

“Well, after you tackled Kiara, a bullet shattered a window and hit you in the head. You died instantly,” Ryan shuddered as Amelia talked about his death. “Then, a whole team of MILF soldiers ran in, guns blazing. I don’t think they intended on taking any prisoners. One by one, everyone died… Kiara and I were safe because we were under the counter, but I could _hear_ their screams. All of them. When I heard Gura, I couldn’t take it anymore. I went back in time. Even if we couldn’t stop it from happening, I couldn’t live in a world without her…”

“It sounds like you love Gura-san very much,” Ryan said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I do,” Amelia sighed and looked at the KFP in the distance. “Damn, I was going to propose to her too.”

“You were?!” Ryan exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Amelia chuckled. “Well, I guess I’ll have to wait.”

“Why wait?” Ryan asked. “Just get the ring and do it now.”

“But-,” Amelia started, but sighed, knowing that Ryan was right. “I’ll do it later. After all, we’re in the middle of a reunion. I can’t run off to go buy the ring now.”

“That sounds good,” Ryan smiled. He then took his phone out and gave it to Amelia. “You should put in your number. We’re probably going to have to make plans to prevent this whole mess from happening. I don’t know what I could do to help, but I’ll try my best.”

“You can help me by giving me your mom’s phone number,” Amelia joked, chucking weakly as she entered her phone number.

“Never in a million years,” Ryan laughed, standing up and offering Amelia a hand. “Let’s go back. No more of this sad shit. Let’s go and smile with everyone.”

“Yeah,” Amelia smiled, grasping his hand.

-

“Woah! How did you get her to do that?!” Gura exclaimed as the two of them walked in. “I could barely get her out of bed!”

“I just gave her my mom’s number,” Ryan said, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

“ _Ame!_ ” Gura whined. “We talked about this!”

“Aw, Gura,” Amelia gave Gura her signature gremlin laugh. “I’ll make it up to you, I _promise_.”

“You better!” Gura pouted.

“Also, Tenchou,” Ryan winked at his boss. “I think Amelia would prefer tea rather than salt.”

“How did you know?!” Kiara whined. “That was going to be so funny!”

“My magic clock told me,” Amelia answered, causing her, Ryan, and Gura to laugh.

“Are you going to tell her?” Ryan asked Amelia.

“I will when I do _the thing_ tonight,” Amelia replied.

“That’s fine with me,” Ryan said.

“Since when did you two become such good friends?” Gura narrowed her eyes.

“Relax, Gura-san,” Ryan chuckled. “I’m not going to go after your girl or anything.”

“Good,” Gura nodded before going back to her fish.

“Like fire and water, I swear,” Ryan muttered to himself as he walked behind the counter.

“Hey, Gura, there was somewhere I needed to go to,” Amelia said.

“Can I come?” Gura asked.

“Nope!” Amelia popped the ‘p’ in nope. “It’s a secret!”

“Ame!” Gura whined, her tail swishing back and forth.

“Speaking of which, I have to go to work,” Calli grumbled. “I’ll see you around, Kusotori, Ryan.”

Ryan waved as she disappeared in black mist. “Hey, Ina, I need a second opinion, can you help me out?” Amelia asked.

“Sure!” Ina stood up, smiling. “My commissions could wait.”

Gura’s face slumped as Amelia and Ina walked out. Ryan walked over to Gura and placed a hand on her head. “Don’t worry about her,” Ryan offered Gura a kind smile. “Amelia would probably kill me if I told you this, but she’s preparing a surprise for you.”

“Really?!” Ryan’s heart melted at Gura’s excited expression.

“Of course,” Ryan said. “Don’t you have a stream to get to?”

“Oh, you’re right!” Gura seemed to be too happy to notice that she never told him about her streaming career. “I’ll see you around, Ryan!”

As Gura ran out, Kiara looked at Ryan, a mischievous smile on her face. “What did Ame tell you she was going to do?”

Ryan shrugged, knowing that this wouldn’t affect anything. Kiara liked to make fun of Amelia, but she wouldn’t be as bad as to leak the news. “She’s proposing.”

“She is?!” Kiara practically jumped for joy. “I can’t wait to go to the wedding!”

Ryan smiled at this. No matter what place or time he was in, his Tenchou would always be his best friend.

-

Ryan plopped on his bed, looking at his phone. Should he call Sabrina? Well, no use to break the cycle now. He dialed up her number, which he’s long since memorized. When he pressed the call button, something that ne never expected to happen happened.

“Hello?” Sabrina’s voice came over from the other side of the phone. “Ryan? Are you okay?”

“Sabrina?” Ryan said, shock filling his voice. “I’m okay, but what about you? We haven’t talked in over a year.”

“Good,” Sabrina said, completely ignoring his question. “Stay put. I’m heading to Japan now. I’ll see you there.”

Ryan was about to talk, but the phone went dead. “What the hell?”

-

“It looks like someone went back in time,” Aloe said, eating one of her bento boxes, hearing Storm’s footsteps. “Do you have Anya?”

“I do not,” Storm answered, causing Aloe to turn around in shock.

“Does that mean..?”

“Yes,” Storm smiled behind his hood. “Time has rewritten itself. Nothing will be the same.”

-

**Day 16: Eye of the Storm**

Somewhere, in the depths of Hell (Read: Australia), a great beast awoke.

**“HAACHAMACHAMAAA~!”**

-

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara’s voice blasted through the phone. Ryan smiled softly. He really missed this. Even though he heard it yesterday, being shot in the head probably constitutes for something.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He slept like the dead last night, sleeping earlier than he had in weeks. “What’s up?”

“Can you come to work?” Kiara asked, a faux sweetness in her voice. Ryan sighed, remembering his second day and how grumpy he was. Now, his smile only grew. “I need a couple extra hands.”

“Sure, as long as I don’t lose any of my fingers in the process.”

-

Ryan cracks his back as he walks into the restaurant. “Morning,” He says, cracking his neck.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara pops out from below the counter. “We’re going to be doing something very important today.”

“What is this very important thing?” Ryan asked, intrigued. If he remembered correctly, today was the day Pekora and Pekomama came over. He then thought back to the previous day. He did some googling on popular time travel theories and learned about something called the “butterfly effect”. The main premise of it is that when a butterfly flaps its wings, somewhere across the world, a hurricane starts. Maybe doing some things differently had altered the time stream to the point where nothing is the same. Ryan resisted the urge to sigh at his thoughts. He’ll take things as it goes.

“We’re going to be building a gaming console!” Kiara shot her arm in the air, childlike glee all over her face.

“Don’t you own a video game company?” Ryan asked. He knew this because he owned a Kiara Fried Phoenix Console.

“Yeah, but it’ll be fun!” Kiara said.

“Well, you’re the boss,” Ryan shrugged. Maybe his expertise in gaming alone for a year straight will finally come to good use.

 _W_ _ho_ _am I kidding? I wasted that year,_ Ryan thought to himself as he walked over to Kiara, who handed him a wrench.

“What the fuck is this?” Ryan looked at what Kiara was working on, which was a pile of dust and ash with a few nails on top of it.

“It’s my console!” Kiara chirped, giving him an expectant look.

“I’ll get the broom,” Ryan grumbled, making his way to the break room.

“OOHCHA!” Gura kicked both of the glass doors open. “GUYS, GUESS WHAT?!”

“It’s about time the gremlin got off her ass and put a ring on it,” Ryan said, sweeping up the specks of Kiara’s “console”.

“You knew?!” Gura hopped over to the counter to take a seat.

“Of course he did,” Amelia walked into the restaurant in a lot more casual manner than her fiancée. “He’s the one who told me to do it.”

“How come I’ve never met him before, then?” Gura turned to Amelia.

“That’s…” Amelia paused, looking away. A drop of sweat beaded her forehead. “A long story. I’ll tell you a little later.”

“C’mon!” Kiara said, wiping her eyes. She was honestly too attached to that pile of nails and ash. “I want to know the story too!”

“Trust me,” Ryan sighed. “You probably don’t.”

“Takanashi-san!” Brianna rushed into the door. “Do you know where-,”

She stopped when she saw Ryan. “Morning, Yo-chan,” Ryan waved lazily as he finished throwing the contents of his dustpan into the trash. “Man, it sure is crowded today. Isn’t it only the second day?”

“How do you know my nickname?” Brianna asked. Ryan assumed she was narrowing her eyes but couldn’t tell considering her mask.

“Amelia’s clock told me,” Ryan said. Brianna looked at Amelia, who nodded in confirmation before turning to Ryan.

“I think we’ve been through enough for you to call me Ame, though,” Amelia said.

“Whatever, Ame,” Ryan rolled his eyes, biting back a witty remark about how she was the only one dodging bullets. Whether Brianna knew the secret meaning behind their inside joke about the clock or thought that they didn’t want her to tell the truth was undeterminable, but she decided to not press on it.

“We need to have words later, Ryan,” Brianna grumbled. At that moment, someone else opened the door. A man, roughly six feet in height wearing a blue trench coat and a checkered shirt with dark brown cargo shorts. His short, jet black hair was unruly and spiky. He dawned a similar mask to Brianna, except the giant number 4 was replaced by a 3. He walked over and sat down next to Amelia.

“I’ll have the strongest alcohol you’ve got,” he said.

“Boss?!” Amelia looked visibly shocked at the man’s appearance. “What are you doing here?!”

“Who’s that?” Gura asked her curiously.

“He was my boss back in Britain before I was assigned here,” Amelia explained.

“I _do_ have this very strong alcohol, but as far as I know, only Haachama can drink this without passing out on the first shot,” Kiara said. “It’s 100 percent alcohol, somehow.”

“Ah, she _does_ take after me,” The man sighed. “I’ll have that.”

“Are you sure?” Kiara asked. “Even if you _have_ met Haachama and lived to tell the tale, it still might be a bit dangerous to drink.”

“Don’t worry about me, manager-san,” The man waved his hand dismissively. “You’re talking about the Dragonson liquor, right? That’s my favorite.”

“If you insist,” Kiara went to the back to salvage the alleged ‘dangerous alcohol’,

“Nice to meet you,” Ryan turned his attention to the man. “My name is Ryan Shade.”

“Shade tells me to use my code name, but you can just call me Jack,” the guy said.

“Nice to meet you, Jack,” Ryan said.

“I asked you a question, _Jack_ ,” Amelia playfully glared at her former boss.

“You know damn well why I’m here, _Amelia_ ,” Jack shot back.

“Ugh, do we really have to do this now?” Amelia rolled her eyes. “Kiara doesn’t know about the whole clock deal.”

“Fine, we’ll talk about this later,” Jack shrugged.

“Should I be involved in this conversation?” Ryan asked curiously, picking up on the whole clock thing.

“No/Yes,” Jack and Amelia said at the same time before the two of them turned to look at each other.

“You got him involved?!” Jack asked, almost shouting.

“It wasn’t _my_ fault!” Amelia defended herself. “It just happened!”

Jack sighed in defeat before turning back to the counter, putting his hands over his mask. “I should have seen this coming.”

“Ame, what’s he talking about?” Gura tugged Amelia’s coat, a worried expression on her face.

“I’ll tell you when we leave,” Amelia gave Gura a reassuring look. “It’s kind of a secret.”

“Okay,” Gura’s worried expression softened, but didn’t leave.

“HAACHAMACHAMAAA~!” For the second time that day, the door was kicked in. This time by a girl wearing a high school uniform.

“Haato-chan!” Jack turned around, excitement in his voice.

“Dragon-san!” The girl ran up and gave the tall man a hug. “I didn’t know you were coming to Japan!”

“I didn’t know you were leaving Australia!” Jack exclaimed.

“What kind of crazy…” Gura’s voice trailed off.

“Don’t ask,” Ryan caught Amelia whispering in Gura’s ear. “Apparently he likes her cooking.”

“What?!” Gura whispered back. “Last time I ate her food, I passed out for a week!”

Ryan shuddered. He did _not_ want to know what kind of “food” can cause a shark to pass out for a week.

“Found it!” Kiara walked over from the back and proceeded to almost drop the alcohol when he saw the schoolgirl. “HAACHAMA?!”

“Yep!” The girl chirped. “That’s me!”

“Haato-san! Can we go? I want to see what kind of meals you’ve come up with since I’ve last seen you,” Jack asked.

“Sure!” Haachama tugged on his arm, pulling him out of the restaurant.

“Ryan! Amelia! We’ll talk later!” Jack called as he was dragged off by the crazy high schooler.

“I guess I should follow them,” Brianna grumbled, walking off. “I swear, if someone dies because of the smell again, I’m going to be in big trouble.”

“Do I even want to ask?” Ryan looked at the three girls one by one.

“Nope,” they all said at the same time.

-

Ryan dialed up Sabrina’s number, not wanting to break the tradition.

“Hello?” Sabrina said through the phone. There was a lot of screaming going on in the background, so Sabrina’s voice could barely be heard.

“Hey, Sabrina,” Ryan said, obviously shook that she even picked up. “How are you?”

“I’m…” Sabrina paused. “I’m good! I’m in the airport right now. Lots of screaming babies.”

“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A BABY?!” Ryan could swear that Haachama’s voice could be heard in the background.

Before Ryan could say anything, there was a knock on the door. He knew who it was. He sighed, considering his options. “Hey, I have to go. Someone’s at the door.”

“Okay!” Sabrina sounded cheery as an explosion went off in the background. “I’ll see you soon!”

“Yeah,” Ryan hung up the phone, bracing himself for what was going to happen next. He walked over and opened the door.

“Hello, I am with the-,” The soldier was cut off when Ryan kneed him in the stomach. He knew that this wouldn’t really affect MILF, but Ryan had been bottling up his anger. Despite the fact that he was, well you know, dead for most of it, MILF had killed a great number of his friends. At first, he wasn’t too mad about it, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got about it. As the soldier hunched over, he held him down by then neck and grabbed his pistol, shooting him in the back of the head.

“That was for shooting me in the head,” Ryan said as the soldier fell to the floor, dead. Ryan watched the blood form on the floor before unloading the gun on the soldier. “And that was for my friends.”

He then took out his phone and dialed up Kiara’s number. “Hey, Ryan!” Kiara chirped through the phone. “What do you need?”

“Tenchou, I need a favor,” Ryan said.

“What is it?”

“Can you help me hide a dead body?”

-

“So, what’s this thing you wanted to tell me?” Gura asked as she closed the door behind Amelia before sitting on the bed.

“Well…” Amelia sat down next to her as her voice trailed off. Gura put a hand on hers, their wedding rings shining in the dim light. Amelia turned to look at Gura, who was giving her a kind smile.

“It’s okay,” Gura said, giving Amelia a kiss. “I’ll support you no matter what.”

“Okay,” Amelia forced a smile. Gura noticed this but didn’t say anything. She could tell that whatever Amelia went through was hard to talk about, so she just gripped her fiancée’s hand and continued to smile at her.

“Well, I actually came from two weeks in the future…” Amelia started. “That’s how I met Ryan. Yesterday was his first day at work. I admit that we’ve only talked a few times, but he treated me well, considering he is purely non-magical.”

“He’s non-magical?” Gura looked shocked at this. “He seemed so calm around Calli and Ina. He even reacted calmly when Calli attacked Kiara.”

“He was surprised the first time around, but he was still nice to all of us,” Amelia replied. “It all happened two weeks from yesterday when he… died.”

“What happened…?” Gura asked. She didn’t like where this was going, but she decided to press on anyways. She wanted to know what had Amelia so troubled. She was always so happy and cheerful, and to see her like this was worrying to say the least. Of course, Gura didn’t let it affect her relationship with her, but it was a reasonable cause for concern.

“Everyone was at the KFP. We were celebrating two weeks of the store being opened and…” Amelia wiped her eyes. “Ryan suddenly tackled Kiara all of a sudden. I didn’t know why at first, but then a bullet came out of nowhere and hit him square in the head.”

Gura tightened her grip as a reassurance that she was still there and listening. “Then a bunch of MILF soldiers stormed the joint,” Amelia’s voice started to falter. “My instincts told me to hide behind the counter, so I did. God, Gura… the screams… _your_ scream… I couldn’t…”

Gura pulled her fiancée into her arms. “Hey, it’s okay, Ame,” She stroked her hair. “What matters that I’m here now, and I’m not gonna leave you.”

“Yeah…” Amelia hugged her back. “We’re gonna be together forever…”

-

**Day 17: Humanity**

_“I’m not sure I can go to work tomorrow,” Ryan tried his best to hide his inner turmoil as he looked at the pile of ash._

_“Are you alright?” Kiara put a hand on his shoulder. Even though she’s only known him for a couple days, she knew two things. He cared enough for his boss to take a scythe for her, despite the fact she was immortal (she didn’t know if Ryan knew that or not, but considering he knew about her relationship, she assumed that he did), and that said scythe didn’t even faze him, so seeing him with such a conflicted expression on is face worried her slightly._

_“Your first is always your hardest,” Calli said._

_“Yeah, I guess,” Ryan sighed. “I just… need a bit of time by myself.”_

_“We should go,” Calli put a hand on Kiara’s shoulder._

_“I’ll see you soon, then,” Kiara felt the need to comfort her newest employee for some reason, but Calli was right. With a puff of black mist, the two vanished._

_“Fuck…” Ryan leaned on the closest wall before sliding down, curling up in a ball._

-

A ding on Ryan’s phone woke him. He groaned, not getting much sleep. He saw Amelia’s Instapound username and unlocked his phone.

 **YourMomsGremlin69:** Kiara filled me in on what happened last night. You alright?

 **KFPisnotacult:** I don’t really know, tbh. This whole thing has been messing me up

 **YourMomsGremlin69:** I pulled some strings and a counselor friend of mine is willing to see you

 **KFPisnotacult:** I killed someone though. I’m not sure I should be telling some rando that

 **YourMomsGremlin69:** Don’t worry about it. All us magic folk have a little blood on our hands. I’ll send you the time and location

 **KFPisnotacult:** I’m not sure I like what you’re implying, buddy

 **YourMomsGremlin69:** By the way your appointment’s in 10 min <3

 **KFPisnotacult:** Whatever

Ryan sighed. He didn’t know if he _should_ be talking about his recent murder case, but what he _did_ know was that he wanted to let it out. He knew from first experience that bottling things up wasn’t healthy, so maybe a clinician would help. He looked at the address that Amelia had sent him. “Time to go, I guess.”

-

“Thanks for the session, Roboco-senpai,” Amelia smiled at the high-spec robot. “I know this isn’t your specialty, but I wasn’t sure who else to ask.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Roboco’s high-spec bunny ears twitched as she smiled brightly. “I’m a high-spec robot! I can do anything I put my mind to.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to handle Ryan?” Amelia asked, causing Roboco to stiffen.

“When you brought it up last night, I consulted YAGOO’s archives and A-Chan,” Roboco said, artificial sweat beading her forehead. “Such a broken individual, yet so powerful…”

“Powerful..?” Amelia asked, eyebrow raised intrigued.

“Since you’re close with him, I believe you should have this information, but the files said that he should _not_ know this until deemed ready under _any_ circumstances, understand?” Roboco’s expression turned serious. Amelia nodded, understanding the severity of the situation from Roboco’s expression, as she rarely puts on such a face. Even when she’s serious, she has a smile on her face, but when that smile goes away, then something is definitely up. “Here’s what I found…”

-

When Ryan entered the room, he was surprised to see Amelia there. He immediately tensed when he saw her unsettled expression. He then saw the girl with the brown bunny ears, her expression deadly serious. “Morning, Ame,” he said to catch their expression.

“Oh! Morning Ryan!” Amelia’s smile instantly returned when she registered his existence. “This is Roboco-senpai.”

“Nice to meet you, Ryan,” a soft smile crossed the girl’s face. “My name is Roboco. I am a high-spec robot at your service.”

“Is this the one you wanted me to meet?” Ryan asked, more out of confusion than anything else. He may understand why someone would be unsettled with having a therapy session with a robot, but Ryan honestly didn’t care, honestly. If she didn’t process emotions or have memory, great. If YAGOO, Brianna, Suisei, or whatever figure who knew more than they let on was directly linked to her, then they get to know that he’s willing to kill and put his own sanity on the line for the magical community, therefore gaining their trust, and if she _did_ operate like a feeling, breathing human, then he wouldn’t have to know that.

“Yeah, I just had a session with her,” Amelia smiled at Roboco. “It really helped me out.”

“I assure you, even if I am not a human, I will do my best to listen and support you in any way I can,” Roboco said.

“Also,” Amelia smiled. “Before I go, I wanted to tell you I mailed a package for you. I suggest you not open it unless something goes horribly wrong.”

“What is it?” Ryan asked as Amelia opened the door.

“Call it some extra precautions,” Amelia winked. “Merry Christmas, Ryan.”

“Merry Christmas, I guess,” Ryan grumbled as Amelia closed the door.

“Please, Ryan, take a seat,” Roboco gestured to one of the comfy chairs in the room, which Ryan sat down in. “Amelia briefed me on the situation.”

“Normally, I would be mad, but in this case, it makes it a lot easier for me,” Ryan said. “Did she tell you about the clock situation?”

“I already knew about her time travel,” Roboco replied. “Your demeanor and interactions with Amelia made me infer that you somehow joined her from the future.”

“I guess they don’t call you high-spec for nothing,” Ryan muttered, sighing. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You flatter me,” Roboco gave Ryan a heartwarming smile. Ryan cursed whoever made her. Why did they have to make their robot so cute? “So, I have been told you committed murder?”

“Spoken so casually,” Ryan sighed. “Yeah, I guess that’s what happened.”

“Can you describe you felt while committing the act?” Roboco asked. Ryan shrugged. Normal therapy stuff.

“Well, I felt angry, for one,” Ryan started. “What happened… last time around was bottled up inside me. I was mad at the MILF for doing what they did. When I saw a MILF soldier… I just… snapped.”

“I see,” Roboco’s smile faded, giving a more concerned look. “What did you feel after the action?”

“Well, I felt… bad,” Ryan had to ponder on the question for a few seconds, but eventually found the answer. “I mean, that man had a family, didn’t he? I took a life. I know that he might have eventually taken mine, but still. I feel bad.”

“I understand,” Roboco’s soft smile returned as she reached over, putting a hand on his shoulder, looking Ryan in the eye. “It seems that you are still a good person, despite your actions.”

“Good person?” Ryan chuckled a little bit. “How could me murdering someone be the act of a good person?”

“Why did you kill that man?” Roboco asked, being surprisingly direct.

“Isn’t that obvious? I did it to keep my…” Ryan paused as the point Roboco was trying to make started to form in his head.

“And you still feel bad, correct?” Roboco asked.

“Yeah,” Ryan looked down, thoughts swirling in his head.

“Life is full of tough decisions,” Roboco said, keeping her tone as comforting as possible. “You did what you did for your friends. The world isn’t exactly a friendly place. You did what you had to do to keep your happiness alive.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ryan shrugged. “Doesn’t make me feel better about it, though.”

“I understand,” Roboco replied. “Taking a life has never been easy, and I would never tell you to just bounce back. Getting through this won’t happen overnight. People like me and Amelia can help you, but this is a journey you must take yourself.”

“I see,” Ryan closed his eyes. “Thank you, Roboco-san for helping me find the direction I needed to take.”

Roboco then surprised Ryan by pulling Ryan into a hug, his head slightly above her chest. Ryan’s ear pressed on her hoodie, the sound of a heartbeat slightly taking him aback. “People have told me that listening to the sound of one’s heartbeat helps them calm down.”

Ryan was about to protest but stopped. She was right. The sound of her heart beating _was_ calming. He closed his eyes. “Well, those people were really onto something.”

-

Amelia sat on her chair, thinking about the information Roboco had told her. Ryan was _that person_? She wanted to ask how it was possible but refrained. She was a time travelling, shark marrying, mom pounding menace, so she didn’t really have much room to complain. She sighed. Maybe she’ll call Gura. Yeah. That sounded like a good idea. “What did I get myself into?”

-

Ryan sighed as he walked out of the building. What was he going to do next? Maybe he’d stop by the KFP. Spending time with Kiara never did him any harm. As he walked, a tugging sensation started to form in the back of his head. Almost as if he was being watched. He sighed, not unused to the feeling, but remembered something Kiara mentioned off hand the first time around. He made three right turns, ending up in abandoned alley. When he confirmed that the feeling didn’t go away, he stopped.

“Hoshimachi-san,” Ryan said casually, not turning around. “If you wanted to talk, you could have just asked.”

“How did you know it was me?” With a gust of wind, Suisei appeared behind him.

“Just a gut feeling,” Ryan turned to meet her. He wasn’t _lying_ per say, he just conveniently left out the part where this has happened before. “What did you want to ask?”

“What’s your affiliation?” Suisei asked. “Are you with MILF? Are you with another agency? How did you know my name? How did you meet Amelia?”

“One question at a time,” Ryan sighed. “Look, it may not look like it, but I’m really just a fast-food worker. I live to make ends meet. Ame’s my friend. Us meeting is… a long story. She’d probably have my head if I told you, though. Look, I just spilled my guts to a robot. Maybe ask her?”

“You could have been lying to Roboco-san,” Suisei said, her eyes narrowing.

“If I lied the whole time, what would be the point of the therapy meeting?” Ryan asked. That caused Suisei to pause.

“You have a point…” Suisei admitted. “That doesn’t clear you from anything, though.”

“Look, how about this,” Ryan held his hands up in surrender. “You can keep stalking me or whatever. It’s not like I’m not used to it anyways. Just don’t kill me, please. I already took _one_ day off. Tenchou wouldn’t be happy if I took another.”

“Why would she-,” Suisei was about to comment on how Kiara would be mad about Ryan taking another day off despite him being hypothetically dead but stopped when she considered the treatment of her previous employees. “You have a point. I’ll leave you for now.”

“You know, I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of being friends,” Ryan said. He wanted to build the connections he had the first time through. He missed all of them, despite meeting most of the people once or twice.

“Friends?” Suisei chuckled. “You’re an interesting fellow, Ryan. I’ll give you that. We’ll meet again.”

As Suisei vanished with the wind, Ryan chucked. “That we will.”

-

Ryan sighed as he got to his house. He turned on his phone and sighed. He really wasn’t in the mood for talking, so he decided to send Sabrina a text. He started typing on his phone.

_“Hey, Sabrina. I went to therapy today. It really helped me out. I mean, the person didn’t really give me any groundbreaking advice, but I was just kind of lost. I think I really needed someone to tell me where I was for me to remember. I’m feeling a lot better now. I guess I’ll see you soon. Goodnight.”_

Ryan put his phone on the nightstand as he sent the message. As he closed his eyes and fell asleep, the phone dinged.

-

**Day 18: Questions and Answers**

_Sabrina was having a not good evening. After getting her text from Ryan, she texted back that she went shopping, and not wanting to lie completely, she decided to go out shopping. About fifteen minutes in, she felt a presence following her, which leads to now._

_“You’re supposed to be dead,” Sparks flew across Sabrina’s fingertips, threatening to ignite. The person before her with an oddly familiar body figure. He wore a black zip-up jacket and black jeans. His hair was short and unruly, almost as if it hadn’t been brushed in days. The figure dawned a familiar mask, but unlike Sabrina’s mask which had a 4, Jack’s mask which had a 3, or even Shade’s mask that had a 1, this person had a giant 7 covering his mask._

_“I guess you’re right,” The figure replied. “But since the universe has been treating my main man so badly,_ someone _decided to bring me back around for me to lend a hand.”_

 _“If that’s the case, what should I call you, since_ he _adopted your name since your departure,” Sabrina asked, narrowing her eyes._

_“Feel free to call me Reporter,” the figure replied._

_“Okay,_ Reporter _,” Sabrina spat out the “name”. “Since you either decided to come back from the dead or possess the body of my best friend, what message was_ so _important that the doors of death couldn’t keep you from delivering this news?”_

 _“Just show up to KFP tomorrow,” Reporter replied, turning his back to Sabrina. “Oh, and don’t bring your mask, or_ he _will have to get used to a lot of things_ real _quick.”_

_Sabrina opened her mouth to talk, but by the time she did, she was alone. “Well fuck.”_

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara shouted through the phone.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said, a smile creeping on his face.

“Are you feeling better?” Kiara asked.

“Yep!” Ryan tried his best to give a cheery response but cringed shortly after. Constantly deadpanning seemed to be a better mood for him.

“That’s good!” Kiara’s enthusiasm easily trumped his own. “Because I need you in! Some people have already showed up, and as the ever-so-nice manager, I decided to open up for them!”

“I don’t-,” Ryan stopped himself when he realized he was talking to himself. “Sure, Tenchou. I’ll be there in 10.”

“Good,” Kiara chirped as she hung up the phone.

“That’s weird,” Ryan muttered to himself as he put on his hoodie. “I don’t remember someone coming in early today. Then again, my memory has never been all too good anyways.”

-

“Ryan!” Ryan was thoroughly shocked when a familiar girl barreled into him. Sabrina looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.

“Hey, Sabrina,” Ryan said casually. It took a couple seconds to process what he just said. “Sabrina!”

Ryan crushed his old friend into a hug. “It’s been so long! How have you been?!”

“So, you two know each other?” Kiara winked at Ryan.

“Teasing you for your relationships for _my_ job,” Ryan deadpanned.

“This is nice and all, but this isn’t a social visit,” Ryan looked to the other person in the room. The man looked exactly like him, or his body structure did. If he put on his clothes and a mask, Ryan would look exactly like the person before him. He noted that the mask was similar to Jack’s and Brianna’s, except there was a giant number 7 instead of a 3 or a 4. “Kind of.”

“You still haven’t told me the purpose of this, _Reporter_ ,” Sabrina pulled away from Ryan to stare at the man, having an obvious disdain for the title.

“Well, I _am_ named Reporter, so I’m here to do my job,” Reporter, as he was named, shrugged.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Sabrina pulled Ryan to the counter.

“Sabrina, I have to work,” Ryan said.

“Let the man change,” Reporter said. Ryan could almost _feel_ the smirk behind Reporter’s mask. “Maybe you can sneak a peek.”

“I’ve been stalked and peeped on more than enough already, thank you very much,” Ryan grumbled, conveniently not looking at Sabrina when she gasped, her face turning red.

“I would know,” Reporter chuckled. The scary thing about this new world Ryan found himself in was that he didn’t even know if Reporter was joking or not.

Whatever,” Ryan cracked his back and went off to get dressed.

-

“So,” Kiara, the store manager leaned over to Sabrina as Ryan closed the door. “You know Ryan, huh?”

“Yeah, we’ve been friends for a while,” Sabrina said, not noticing the slight flush in her cheeks. “What about it?”

“Well, I’ve only known him for a few days,” Kiara sighed. “He’s an… interesting one to say the least. It _feels_ like I’ve known him longer than I have, but at the same time, he feels like a complete stranger to me.”

“I understand how you feel,” Sabrina sighed, looking at the door to the break room. “Last time I saw him, he was a mess of anxiety and emotions, but now… he’s just so calm… and what I’ve heard down the grape vine… I can hardly believe he’s the same person anymore…”

“So, I guess we’re on the same boat,” Kiara sighed. “He seems nice, though. I hope he feels the same way, though.”

-

Ryan opened the door to see Kiara and Sabrina deep in conversation and Reporter just tapping away at his phone. “Well, I see at least some of you are getting along,” Ryan said, catching the attention of everybody in the room.

“Alright, I can finally get started,” Reporter sighed. “Anyways, as much as I want to run around kicking names and taking ass, I have to abide by certain rules. The main purpose of gathering you all is to make you all aware that I’m alive or whatever. I’ve recently got into contact with some pattaphysical beings and I’m kind of their messenger of sorts.”

“Hold up,” Ryan said. “What the hell is a pattaphysical?”

“You _really_ don’t want to know unless you want your worldview changed,” Reporter replied. “It really fucks you up once you know they exist.”

“Alright, I guess I won’t ask,” Ryan sighed.

“Did you really call us here just so you can tell us you exist?” Sabrina asked.

“Well, there were a few bumps in the road, I think,” Reporter scratched his head. “My contact hasn’t gotten back to me, so there’s not much I can do.”

“What do they want from us?” Ryan asked.

“They just want to ask a few questions,” Reporter said, looking at his phone. “Oh! I got to go. Also, my contact told me to tell you to turn on the TV.”

“What?” Ryan asked, but when he turned to Reporter, he was gone.

“I hate it when he does that,” Sabrina muttered.

“Do you want me to turn on the TV?” Kiara asked. The two turned to her as if they didn’t even know she was there.

“Sure,” Ryan sighed.

Kiara turned on the TV and Ryan was thoroughly shocked when he saw Amelia’s face on the tv. He then read the headline.

**_Watson Construction denies deal with UN_ **

_CEO of Watson Construction Amelia Watson refuses to deal with United Nations’ MILF branch_

“It’s quite plain and simple,” Amelia said, her smug smile plastered on her face. “MILF is full of assholes.”

“Are there any other reasons besides… that?” The reporter asked.

“Their moms were a lousy pound,” Amelia shrugged, pulling out a pistol. “Because of that, they get to lose out on this.”

“It has been brought to my attention that the weapon you are holding is part of your new branch of weapons manufacturing,” The reporter said, a hint of fear in their voice. “Would you know _why_ the United Nations is so eager to get their hands on such weapons?”

“Sure!” Amelia gave the reporter her signature gremlin laugh. “In fact, let me show you.”

Without warning, she pointed her gun to the camera and pulled the trigger. With a loud crack, the screen went black.

“I think that’s enough of that,” Kiara sighed, turning off the TV. “Why does Ame need to pull of these stunts? She’s going to blow our cover.”

“They deserved it,” Somehow in the span of time between the gunshot and now, Amelia found her way to the KFP. “At least I _hope_ they got the message.”

“I’m sure they got a message.” Ryan sighed. “Whether or not they got the one you wanted to send is up for debate.”

“Fair enough,” Amelia chuckled before turning her attention to Sabrina. “So, _you’re_ the Sabrina I’ve heard so much about, am I right?”

“Yeah, and?” Sabrina asked, narrowing her eyes. Her expression only made Amelia’s smirk widen.

“Can I have your mom’s number?” Amelia asked.

“Ame, you’re getting married,” Ryan said. As if he spoke of the devil himself, the door busted open.

“Ame! I thought we talked about this!” Gura gabbed Ame by her coat and started to drag her off.

“How did you even know?!” Amelia shrieked as she skidded across the floor. Gura stopped and turned to Ryan.

“Thanks,” she said.

“No problem,” Ryan smirked. “I’m invited to the wedding, right?”

“You bet!” Gura shot her fist in the air, walking out of the restaurant while Amelia screamed about traitors or something like that. Ryan was too busy plugging his ears to determine.

“You’ve met an interesting bunch,” Sabrina said to Ryan, who unplugged his ears after confirming that the couple was gone.

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “And I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

-

**Day 19: Acerola Juice**

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara exclaimed through the phone. Ryan cracked his neck and looked at his phone. 1:23 am. That was an odd time to be calling.

“What’s up, Tenchou?” Ryan asked. He tried to think back to the first time around to remember if she called at this time, but he was probably dead asleep, so he didn’t have an exact answer.

“Can you come to the KFP?” Kiara asked. “I got a reservation for 1:30 and I was hoping you would join me.”

“Who the hell reserves a fast-food joint at this time of night?” Ryan asked. “Also, since when did we do reservations?”

“You’ll find out,” If Ryan was there in person, he was one hundred percent sure that Kiara would have offered the employee a wink.

“Alright, I’ll be there in five,” Ryan said, playfully rolling his eyes as he hung up the phone. He wanted to complain about being called at the most random time, but he had nothing better to do. Plus, he had to learn the hard way that you don’t know what you really have until it’s gone. He hoped not to be shot in the head again. _That_ was an excessive way to learn a lesson.

-

“Konkapu~!” Ryan jumped slightly when a girl’s voice came out from behind him in the middle of nowhere in a pitch-black alley.

“You shouldn’t scare people like that,” Ryan turned around, his hands in his pockets and staring into the eternal abyss, trying his best to look intimidating and casual at the same time.

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t intend to scare you!” A girl wearing a short skirt and a bat pin on her hair skipped into view. “What brings you here at this time of night? Are you a vampire as well?”

“I feel like that’s either the most creative insult to my terrible sleep schedule or I’m just looking too deep into this,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “I’m just a normal human. Well, normal is up for debate, but I assure you, I _am_ human.”

“Huh? I thought humans weren’t allowed here,” The girl put a finger to her chin and titled her head.

“I have no idea how YAGOO’s barrier was made,” Ryan remembered the off comment Calli made before he got shot. “All I know is that I’m heading to work.”

“Ah, so you’re working at Kiara-chan’s KFP?” The girl asked. “Huh, last I checked the files, you shouldn’t know this much.”

“Knowing a name is too much?” Ryan asked. “You know what? You’re making me ask too many questions. If you’re not going to kill me, I’m just going to head off to work.”

“Oh! We’re heading to the same place!” The girl’s smile grew. “Want to walk with me?”

“Why not?” Ryan sighed. “There _is_ only one way there, I guess.”

-

“Ryan! Mel-senpai!” Kiara waved the two over as they walked in. “You two have met before?”

“Nope,” Ryan shrugged. “Well, I’m going to get changed.”

“I’ll have some Acerola juice!” The girl, who Ryan now knew as Mel walked over to the counter and plopped down.

Ryan heard another voice as he closed the door to get changed. When he opened the door again, he saw another girl sitting next to Mel. What caught Ryan’s eye was the floating rings with hair attached to them. He resisted the urge to shrug at his own thoughts. Must be some magical accessory. After all, it _did_ look stylish.

“Alonaaa~,” The girl spoke right as Ryan started to ponder whether or not to blow his next paycheck on whatever that girl was wearing. “My name is Aki Rosenthal. People call me Akirose.”

“Ryan Shade, people tend to call me a disappointment,” Ryan said. “Nice to meet you, Akirose-san.”

“You’re not a disappointment,” Kiara smiled at him. “Most of the time.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ryan sighed, before lowering his voice. “Says the one who failed to get Calliope-san’s milk twenty-seven times.”

“How do you even know about that?!” Kiara exclaimed. “And it was _twice_!”

“No, it was twenty-seven,” Aki deadpanned, causing Mel, Aki, and Ryan to laugh while Kiara glared at her.

“What would like to eat?” Ryan asked.

“Nothing, for now. I got this,” Ryan looked away out of respect (read: not wanting to get bonked) when Aki shoved her hand between her thighs. When he looked again, a tub of KFP chicken was on the counter.

“What just happened?” Ryan asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Kiara shuddered.

“That’s implying that you’ve seen,” Mel said. Everyone turned to Aki, who just smiled suggestively and winked.

“I’m telling Calliope-san,” Ryan said without a second thought.

“That was last year!” Kiara protested.

“Kiara-chan, you’ve known Calli-chan for thousands of years,” Aki reminded her.

“Oh,” Kiara’s shoulders slumped. “I’m screwed, aren’t I?”

Ryan nudged her. “Depending on what happens, the way you’ll end up being screwed can change.”

“You’re right!” Kiara’s eyes shot up. “Thanks, Ryan! I’ll be right back!”

A few moments of awkward silence passed after Kiara dashed off before the three started laughing. “She’s dead, isn’t she?” Ryan asked, half-joking.

“Yep,” Mel smiled at Ryan as if his statement were completely serious.

“GET BACK HERE KUSOTORI!” Ryan dived just in time to miss a blade of darkness as the doors opened.

“No fighting in the establishment!” Ryan shouted as he hit the floor.

“Fighting is perfectly fine!” Kiara shouted as she flew over the counter before lowering her voice so only Ryan could hear. “I think it was assault that you were thinking of.”

“I _would_ protest, but I’ve met Natsurio-san,” Ryan sighed. When he noticed that Calli hadn’t come to murder her girlfriend yet, he peeked up.

“RYAN! GET HER FOR ME!” Calli was tied to a rope with both Mel and Aki pulling her back..

“Where the hell did you get the rope?” Ryan asked.

“Don’t ask,” Mel sighed.

“Feel free to ask all you like,” Aki smirked slyly.

“As much as I would love to ask, but I feel like someone,” Ryan glared at a random direction, where he was fifty percent sure that Suisei was hiding, “would disapprove.”

“Am I safe?” Kiara peeked her head out. When she saw Calli tied up, she dove over the counter. “An opportunity!”

“Nope!” Ryan grabbed Kiara’s collar and pulled her back. “We are _on the clock_ , Tenchou. Understand?”

“Yes Ryan,” Kiara looked down, as if she were a child being scolded for stealing a candy bar. In many ways, Ryan felt like he _was_ scolding a child.

“Thanks for that,” Calli sighed as Aki and Mel untied her.

“You’re only safe until I clock out,” Ryan said. “I do not take sides.”

“You’re going to die a painful death, you know that?” Calli glared at Ryan, her crimson eyes glowing for dramatic effect.

“Been there, done that,” Ryan waved her off before turning to Aki. “You’re paying for your chicken, right?”

“Well, I made it myself, so no,” Aki gave Ryan a kind smile while Calli looked at Ryan, confused at his… odd dismissal.

“For the sake of my sanity, I’ll just agree with you,” Ryan shook his head.

Kiara stood up as the three took their seats. “So, did you hear about the stunt Ame pulled yesterday?” Kiara asked.

“It’s nice that she’s supporting _us_ , though,” Mel said.

“From what I know, Ame started a weapons branch,” Ryan said. “Out of curiosity, _why_ would you all need weapons?”

“Every idol agency needs guns, right?” Kiara asked.

“For the last time, Tenchou,” Ryan said. “I refuse to believe you’re an idol.”

“This is the first time we’ve talked about this, though,” Kiara looked genuinely hurt.

“Really?” Ryan turned to Kiara. “I thought we’ve been over this before.”

“We haven’t,” Kiara replied. Ryan resisted the urge to facepalm at himself. Everything was blending together at this point.

“Huh, must be the nausea,” Ryan muttered to himself as he leaned on the counter. “Mel-san, aren’t you a vampire? Why didn’t you order blood or something like that?”

“Ah! I don’t really like hurting things, so I just drink Acerola juice instead,” Mel replied, a bright smile on her face.

“That’s… oddly wholesome,” Ryan said. “Didn’t expect that from a vampire.”

“I’m special,” Mel’s smile only widened.

 _-100 hp! Critical hit!_ Ryan had leaned to stand still when his heart took critical hits after meeting Ojou.

“Are you okay?” Kiara asked, noticing the sweat beading on Ryan’s forehead.

“Fine,” Ryan said, straining himself. Suddenly, an alarm went off. Ryan had to look away again when Aki crammed her hand in between her thighs again. When he turned his head again, she was holding a phone.

“Ah! Our collab stream is in 10 minutes!” Aki gasped.

“Crap! We need to go!” Mel and Aki stood up. As they opened the door, Mel turned into a bat while Aki’s hair receded into her rings as they grew in size. When Aki jumped, she landed on the rings and floated off.

“I’m not going to ask,” Ryan sighed.

-

“Damn Watson Construction not giving us better weapons,” A shadowy man slammed his closed fist on the desk in front of him. “We’re outgunned.”

“Don’t worry,” A shady man on the other side of the table smirked. “China has recently developed a new branch of weapons thanks to a certain… Unicorn.”

“A unicorn, you say?” The shady man asked. “That is… quite interesting.”

-

A woman snapped awake to the sound of shattering metal. She fell on her hands and knees, silver blood dripping onto the floor.

“C’mon! We have to get out of here!” A familiar voice was heard as she was supported up.

“Yo…” the woman started as she took a step, being supported by an unknown figure.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” the voice shushed her. “All of us are in hiding. We’re here to bust you out.”

“Shit! She’s escaping! Call for backup!” A man shouted.

“Crap!” The voice cursed. Sounds of gunfire, a beam being shot, and an explosion was heard before the woman drifted back into unconsciousness.

-

“So, what do you think?” Aloe said, watching Ryan walking home on a TV while sitting on a couch.

“I think I will have to enter the physical plane tomorrow,” Storm replied, standing behind the couch.

“Are you going to give him _that_?” Aloe turned to look at Storm.

“There is a high chance that I will,” Storm replied.

“If you will, can you give him this?” Aloe opened her palm, and a glowing ball of light formed, floating slightly above her palm.

“Do you think this is a good idea?” Storm reached his hand over, closing it on the ball of light. “You know what will happen if things go wrong.”

“I want to do anything I can to help,” Aloe replied. “Plus, if things go wrong, time will just reverse again, right?”

“I’m not in charge of that,” Storm said, moving his hand back inside his cloak. “But I don’t think things will go wrong this time.”

-

Ryan sighed as he closed the door. Since he had met Sabrina the day before, he didn’t really feel a reason to call her anymore. He plopped on the bed, noting that the tugging feeling on the back of his head preventing him from falling asleep.

“Goodnight, Hoshimachi-san. Yo-chan,” He said before closing his eyes, snuggling with the blankets.

-

“Yo-chan?” Suisei asked as she peered into his window.

“How did he know I was there?” With a gust of wind, Sabrina revealed herself, her mask on.

“I guess he’s just gotten used to us stalking him,” Suisei replied. “Speaking of which, why _are_ you following him?”

“I just want to make sure my friend is staying safe,” Sabrina replied before turning to Suisei. “Why are _you_ following him?”

“Well, I didn’t know if he was a threatening existence or not, but if you trust him, I don’t see why that would be the case,” Suisei sighed.

“I don’t know about that,” Sabrina shuddered. “We need to keep him safe, or else.”

Suisei nodded, and with a flash of light, both of them were gone.

-

**Day 20: Uh Oh**

“RYAN!” Ryan was thoroughly shocked to hear Amelia’s voice instead of Kiara’s that morning when he woke up to the phone.

“What’s up?” Ryan asked. “I really need to head to work… wait… wasn’t Kiara playing ‘Call of Duty’ with Calliope-san or something?”

“About that,” Amelia said. “The MILF raid went south. They’re holding Kiara hostage.”

“WHAT?!” Ryan shot up, instantly awake. “What the hell happened?!”

“Apparently MILF has these new laser weapons or something,” Amelia replied. “I don’t know how it happened, but Kiara is being held hostage. I don’t know where Calli went, but I need help.”

“Fucking MILF,” Ryan grumbled. “Just when things were looking up.”

“Remember that package I got you?” Amelia asked.

“Yeah, it’s sitting unopened by the door,” Ryan replied, remembering the “Emergencies Only” Christmas package Amelia got him. “What about it?”

“Open in and meet me at the location I’m sending you in thirty minutes,” Amelia said before hanging up.

Thoroughly pissed off at the circumstances, Ryan got up and opened the gift wrapping on the package Amelia had got him. He saw a big, metal box with a “Watson Construction” label on the box. He unlatched the latches on the box and opened it. A wicked smile crossed his face. Finally, a good way to let off some stress.

-

“Like the present I got you?” Amelia smirked at Ryan as she loaded an assault rifle, chewing on a bullet casing.

“You look unintentionally badass,” Ryan said as he looked at the twin fully automatic pistols in his pocket. He had to admit that it _was_ a good Christmas gift, considering the circumstance.

“Who said it was unintentional?” Amelia held out her hand and two silencers willed themselves into existence with a faint, yellow glow. “Put these on. This is a stealth operation.”

Ryan sighed. As much as he wanted to run in, guns blazing, he was a normal person. And these guys had laser weapons. Stealth was probably a good idea.

-

Somewhere in America, black mist started to form as Calli appeared in front of a graveyard. She looked down at a particular grave and sighed. She put a small, onyx knife by the grave and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Death-sensei, but I have to break the rules this time,” she turned around. “No one fucks with my lover and lives to tell the tale.”

-

“Sabrina,” YAGOO said over the phone. Sabrina was sitting on the bed in her hotel when YAGOO called. “One of our units has been captured. Mori and I are preparing a rescue operation. We need more heavy hitters on our side.”

“I guess I owe it to Ryan to save his boss’s ass,” she sighed. “I’ll be there in five.”

-

“Yo, did you hear about Jerry?” Ronald, a MILF soldier asked his pal Jimmy.

“Yeah, some psycho took his pistol and killed him, apparently,” Jimmy replied. “They didn’t even leave a body.”

“Yeah, we’ll get that psycho one day,” Ronald said, looking at his fancy new gun. “Especially with these new-fangled laser guns. That dude won’t stand a-,”

He was cut off when a bullet pierced his skull. Jimmy turned around just in time for a bullet to hit his left eye.

“Dibs,” Ryan grabbed one of the laser rifles off the corpses.

“So, you’re already over this killing thing?” Amelia asked, examining the other rifle with a magnifying glass before summoning her own laser rifle.

“Well, they kidnapped my boss,” Ryan replied. “Plus, they forfeit their lives when they took death’s girlfriend hostage. I’m doing them a mercy at this point.”

“Fair enough,” Amelia sighed as she looked around, pointing at a door. “Kiara’s magical signature is coming from that direction.”

“Alright,” Ryan said, watching the laser rifle power up. “Let’s do this.”

-

“Hey, little girl,” Jeff walked up to the high schooler who was staring at the military base. “This is a top-secret military base. If you keep staring, I’ll have to shoot you.”

“I know,” The girl replied with a smile. Jeff was a little unnerved by her response. When he says that, most people would turn away and this girl was the first person not to. When she moved a mask to her face, he saw the giant four and his expression immediately blanched. “Oh fu-,”

He was cut off when the girl finished putting on the mask, and a gigantic fire bird erupted from behind her, screeching at Jeff before diving at him, consuming him in flames.

“Sorry, it’s nothing personal,” Sabrina said. “Just kidding. No one threatens Edhas’s friends and lives. Let’s do this.”

Two cloaked figures appeared behind her. Calli twirled her scythe, a dark aura emanating around her while YAGOO wore a brown cloak, holding a wooden staff, a silver orb floating above the top.

-

“These laser weapons are really cool,” Ryan said, looking at a dead soldier with a giant molten hole in his head.

“Hey, Ryan,” Amelia twirled a pistol. “I managed to make a laser pistol. Want one?”

“I’ll take two,” Ryan said before catching the two laser pistols Amelia threw him. When he caught them, the earth shook. “What the hell was that?”

“Calli and YAGOO probably made their move already,” Amelia replied. “That’s good. Most soldiers will now be focused on the frontal assault. Let’s go. We don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

Ryan nodded and they snuck off.

-

“We need backup!” A MILF soldier was head shouting into a recorder. Unfortunately, he never got to finish his statement when he was beheaded by a giant scythe. “Fuck your friend!” Calli pulled out a recorder and blew into it, causing the spirit of the fallen soldier to rise out of his body and tear through his comrades.

As YAGOO was surrounded, he merely stamped his staff on the floor when three stone golems four times his size rose from the earth. “Do to them that they have done to my dreams,” YAGOO commanded (AN: Yeah, blame the MILFs for your crushed dreams. On another note, HoloMILF gen 1 when?). The golems charged, crushing soldiers with their feet as one grabbed onto the cannon of a tank and lifted it, throwing it at the building.

With a flick of Sabrina’s wand, lightning struck a mortar. As she waved her wand again, the electricity generated from the lightning jumped from soldier to soldier before latching itself onto the tank being launched to the building, causing it to explode, making a hole into the building. “Let’s go.”

-

Ryan’s rage boiled when he heard his boss scream. “So, you heal, eh?” he heard a gruff man say. He then heard a gunshot and another scream.

“Fuck this,” Ryan said.

“Ryan, wait!” Amelia whispered to him, but he wasn’t listening. He grabbed a laser pistol and ran out, identifying the one with his gun pointed at Kiara and shot him in the temple.

“If you want my boss, then you have to go through me first,” Ryan tossed the laser pistol behind him and took out the pistols that Amelia got him, unscrewing the silencers.

“Ryan! What the hell are you doing here?!” Kiara asked, the hole in her shoulder healing as flames danced around the wound.

“Oh, I’m just playing Call of Duty with Ame,” Ryan shrugged. As if on cue, Amelia ran up and jumped, doing a flip before slamming the ground between, Kiara and the soldiers, creating a shockwave. As the soldiers fell over, Ryan jumped down, shooting each of them in the head.

“Consider the pound grounded,” Amelia smirked as Ryan walked up to her. “Heads up, kid. There’s more coming.”

Ryan turned just in time to be shot through the shoulder. In any other sense, he would have screamed in pain, but the sheer adrenaline and rage kept him going. He screamed in rage and pain, tackling the soldier who shot him, struggling a bit before shooting him in the head. He stood up, his eyes burning as he dived to the side, dodging a hail of gunfire. The soldiers pointed their guns at him only to be shot down by a bunch of lasers. Ryan turned his head to see Amelia smirking back at him. At that time, the walls crashed down.

“Don’t you _dare_ hurt my wi-,” Calli jumped though the hole in the wall, scythe at the ready. She stopped when she saw the scene in front of her.

“When’s the wedding..?” Ryan coughed as the pain finally started to set in.

“What happen-, holy shit!” Yo-chan threw off her mask and ran towards Ryan. “What the fuck did you do, Ryan?!”

“Sabrina..?” Ryan looked at her as Sabrina started to heal his wounds. “I didn’t know you were Yo-chan…”

“Shut up and let me focus,” Sabrina glared at Ryan. “Why the hell did you come here anyways?”

“Hey, they kidnapped my boss,” Ryan chuckled weakly. “Didn’t you just tell me to shut up?”

“Yes, so shut up,” Sabrina completely ignored Ryan’s answer as the wounds started to close.

With no warning, everything went grey and froze. “It’s been awhile Ryan,” A hooded figure appeared before him. “Or should I call you Edhas?”

“I have no idea what the hell are you talking about?” Ryan asked. He wasn’t necessarily aggressive towards the figure, but he was wary. “Who are you anyways? What did you do?”

“They call me Zero,” the cloaked figure replied. “You can call me Storm. I simply froze time so I can offer you something.”

“Honestly, whatever the hell you can offer can wait till tomorrow,” Ryan said.

“Very well. I guess some things never change,” Storm sighed. As he vanished, color and motion returned to the world.

“What you did was completely badass,” Amelia told Ryan, walking over to him as his wounds finished healing. “You are totally going to be the best man at my wedding.”

“Cool, I guess,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, still trying to process what just happened. “When is that?”

“Tomorrow,” Amelia deadpanned.

“Tomorrow?!” Ryan exclaimed before hacking up a coughing fit. “You need to give me a better warning in advance. I don’t even have a suit.”

“I can help with that,” Sabina giggled.

“Well, I’ll deal with it tomorrow,” Ryan sighed. “For now, I need a nap.”

-

“C’mon! We’re almost there!” The familiar voice urged the woman. She could tell that whoever was carrying her was severely wounded.

“Who…” The woman asked.

“I’m a friend,” The woman didn’t fail to detect the dismay in the voice. For some reason, she couldn’t detect who this person was, but then again, she couldn’t even take in her surroundings. She was sure that when she recovered, she would know who was helping her.

“They’re over there!” The woman heard a man shout. She heard the sound of a laser being fired followed by the screaming of the voice.

“I… can do this…” The voice said to herself. She heard a door click before swinging open. She stumbled inside whatever room the door led to before fading into unconsciousness.

-

“Ah, it’s always hectic when Fubuki shows up,” Roberu was cleaning the dishes after an eventful day at his bar. He sighed wistfully, looking at the pile of shattered glass he swept up not too long ago. “I miss the quieter days.”

As he talked to himself, the door slammed open. He turned. “Sorry, but we’re closed right now. How did you even activate-,” he was cut off when he saw two familiar figures stumble into the bar, both heavily wounded.

“Civia?! Yogiri?!” He threw the glass aside, not caring about how it shattered on the floor as he vaulted over the counter to aid his two friends.

“Please…” Yogiri clutched a hole in her shoulder as blood leaked out of the gaping wound. “Help…”

Roberu caught the woman as she fell unconscious. He assessed the damage. Both girls were in critical condition. “This isn’t good,” he muttered to himself as he started to heal their wounds. “What kind of mess have you two gotten yourself into now?”

-

**Day 21: Unity**

“You sure you want to do this now?” Gura put a hand on Amelia’s giving her a patient smile. Even though Amelia doesn’t really voice it, Gura knew that she was still going through a lot of stuff ever since she went back in time.

“Yeah,” Amelia smiled and gave the little shark a peck on the forehead. “I want to live through these happy times before something else happens.”

“Nothing will happen,” Gura looked at her trident that was across the room. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“I’m sure you will, my little cup of tea,” Amelia looking lovingly into Gura’s eyes. “I need to go get dressed. I want to keep my outfit a surprise.”

“I’m not little! I’m an Apex Predator,” Gura pouted. “But I’ll let you call me little. Just this once.”

Amelia chuckled as she went for the doo. “Whatever you say.”

-

“RYAN!” Ryan jumped awake as soon as Amelia shouted his name.

“How the hell did you get in here?” Ryan sat up only to be met with Amelia throwing a suit at him, the suit landing gently on his face.

“Don’t ask, just get dressed,” Amelia said as Ryan pulled the suit off his face to see Amelia wearing her own suit, topped off with a black beret.

“Huh, I didn’t think you’d be the one wearing a suit,” Ryan cracked his neck and got out of bed.

“I tried looking at wedding gowns, but it’s just not my style,” Amelia replied, turning for the door. “I sent you the address already. Don’t be late.”

“Wait-,” Ryan was going to ask her when it started, but Amelia was gone by the time he opened his mouth. “I guess that’s just how things are.”

-

Ryan fixed his tie as he looked at the building. It wasn’t a church at all. Instead, it was a building that had the world “HoloHQ” Plastered above the entrance in large, cyan letters. He looked down at his suit. “How the hell did she even get my measurements?” As soon as he said that an image of Suisei measuring him with a ruler while he slept flashed through is mind. “On second thought, I don’t want to know.”

“I’m surprised I made it here on time,” Ryan turned as he heard the sound of a man behind him. The man behind him had dirty, white hair that was combed back. He wore a black dress shirt and a white tie which was covered by a dirty green trench coat. He sighed, taking a pair of glasses out of his pocket. When he put them on, his eyes instantly fixated towards Ryan. “Ah, so _you’re_ the Ryan I’ve heard so much about. Watson told me you were going to be the best man.”

“Yeah, I’ve never been to a wedding, though so I have no idea what I’m doing,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “It seems I’m at a disadvantage. You seem to know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

“People call me Arurandeisu,” the man replied, fixing his tie. “If it’s too long, you can call me Aruran or Aru-san.”

“Nice to meet you, Aru-san,” Ryan walked over and extended his hand. Aruran firmly grasped and shook his hand.

“Now, let’s get going before Watson gets mad at us,” Aruran smiled. Ryan took out his phone and looked at the time.

“I still have no idea when it starts,” Ryan sighed.

“Ah, it starts in ten minutes,” Aruran said.

“Ten minutes?!” Ryan exclaimed. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

-

“Hello! Would you like doughnut to celebrate Devour Doughnut December?” As soon as Ryan and Aruran entered the building, they were greeted by a squirrel girl holding several boxes of doughnuts.

“Sure, I actually didn’t eat yet,” Ryan offered the girl a kind before taking a doughnut. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Ayunda Risu,” The squirrel girl bowed her head slightly, as not to aggravate the sacred doughnuts. “You may call me Risu.”

“No cap?” Aruran asked, which Risu replied with a quick shake of her head. Aruran then took a doughnut, taking a large bite. “Thanks, Risu-chan.”

“It is my pleasure, Aru-papa,” Risu smiled brightly as the two men walked off.

-

“So, you’re the best man, huh?” Ina walked up to Ryan. “I guess we’ll be walking down the aisle together.”

“Guess so, miss maid of honor,” Ryan said. “It’s weird that I haven’t met any of either of their families yet.”

“Neither of them came,” Ina replied. “Gura’s parents were hunted by the German Army during WWII and Ame’s parents disowned her when she came out.”

“That’s…” Ryan shuffled uncomfortably, looking for the right words. “Kind of fucked up.”

“Well, Ame decided to invite her step-sister,” Ina said. “Apparently she’s an angel or something. I wonder if Kanata-senpai knows her.”

At the mention of Amelia’s sister, a girl with long, white hair and small angel wings walked over. “Did you mention me?”

“Ah, we were just talking about the brides’ families and why they weren’t here,” Ina said. “My name is Ninomae Ina’nis.”

“Amatsuka Uto,” The girl introduced herself, giving the two a heartwarming smile. “It’s a shame that Ame-tan’s parents were so cruel.”

“Yeah, I don’t know too much about them, but bigots are too common in this world,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amatsuka-san.”

“Please, just called me Uto,” Uto directed her smiled towards Ryan. “Ame-tan has told me a lot about you. I have to thank you for taking care of her this past week.”

“I didn’t do much, honestly,” Ryan said. “She’s a good friend.”

“I’ve heard,” Uto said thoughtfully. “Well, the ceremony is going to start soon. I guess I’ll talk to you after the wedding.”

“Sure,” Ryan said, in a slight daze as she walked away. He then looked at Ina. “She’s…”

“Pure? Nice? Clean?”

“Not what I was going to say, but let’s go with that,” Ryan sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.”

-

Instead of hiring an orchestra, apparently Amelia and Gura got famous idols Tokino Sora and AZKi to sing at their wedding. _Why_ they decided to do that was beyond him, but it wasn’t Ryan’s wedding (AN: Like he’s ever going to get one). As Ryan walked down the aisle, he noticed that all the bridesmaids and “groomsmen” were familiar. Korone and Okayu, Coco and Kanata, Kiara and Calli, and Noel and Flare. Ryan and Ina parted. Ryan joined Okayu, Coco, Flare, and Calli while Ina joined Korone, Kanata, Kiara, and Noel.

 _I feel out of place,_ Ryan sighed to himself as Fubuki put the rings on the altar before Uto added the flowers. Amelia was patiently waiting for Gura to show up. After a few seconds, time seemed to slow. Gura walked down the aisle in a wedding gown tinted bright blue next to YAGOO in a three-piece-suit. Ryan could physically see Amelia’s eyes light up. After the two famous idols finished their songs and Amelia and Gura stood next to each other, Enma walked up, still in her casual dress shirt, hoodie tied to her waist, and katana. She took out a piece of paper.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today… fuck this,” Enma gave a frustrated sigh before tossing the paper in the air and unsheathing her sword. Barely a second passed before she sheathed her sword again, the paper sliced to literal confetti. “Look, we all know why we’re here today. Let’s not waste time here and get on with it.”

 _I’m so glad I decided_ not _to fight her,_ Ryan thought to himself. Amelia smirked while Gura tried to suppress her laughter as he saw many nods of approval.

“Now let me invite our CEO and living joke YAGOO to the stage,” Enma bowed, gesturing to YAGOO, who stepped up to the altar to speak.

“I wanted to make a group like AKB48. I know that people make fun of my prior dreams,” YAGOO started. “But I feel like I ended up with something far better than what I hoped for. Thank you all for coming to this union of these two.”

Ryan clapped with everyone else, not getting why Kiara was almost keeling over laughing. He mostly zoned out for the rest of the readings. Especially when he saw a familiar hooded figure facing him from the back of the room. Ryan and Storm spent a great deal of time staring each other down. Ryan only looked up when Enma started to address the couple.

“Alright, you know how serious this is right?” Enma asked. “I mean, you already do, but the paper told me I have to ask you this.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t ground pound Pekora’s mom anymore,” Amelia chuckled.

“WHAT WAS THAT-PEKO?!” Ryan faintly heard Pekora’s voice from the back of the room and forced down a laugh.

“Yeah, I understand,” Gura shot Amelia a glare.

“This is the time of the ceremony when you two will exchange the vows,” Enma said. “Which one of you would like to go first?”

“Ah, I would!” Gura raised her hand before turning to Amelia. “I first met you when you appeared in the middle of nowhere five thousand years ago. Those two years were the best years of my life. As long as I lived, out of all the people I’ve met, I never met someone quite like you. When YAGOO hired me and put me in a team, I didn’t know what I was expecting, but then I saw you. At that time, I was the happiest shark (read: little shark) in the world. To be honest, I was a little scared when we got together. I thought to myself ‘what if she’s not the one?’ But if you weren’t the one, Ame, then who was? I never thought I would go through a human marriage, but by whatever gods may be out there, I don’t regret doing it.”

Ryan smiled as he noticed Amelia wipe a tear. He then turned back to Storm at the back of the room to see Reporter standing next to him. As per usual, Ryan couldn’t see Reporter’s face over his mask, but he could _feel_ the smirk behind it.

“When I first laid eyes on you,” Amelia’s words startled his focus back to the couple. “I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. At the time, I was studying under a certain deity. As much as I know he hates calling himself that, that’s what he was,” Ryan could feel the aura tense a little bit and looked over to see a man with messy hair and an eyepatch. He recognized from the trench coat that the man he was focusing on was Jack. “At first, I dreaded this little trip through time. I thought ‘why do I have to go through the prehistoric ages?’ Then I met you. At that time, I was still recovering after a particularly bad meeting with Merlin, bless his soul (AN: Imagine Ame shooting an old ass Merlin with a rocket launcher). When I opened my eyes, I saw your face. I still remember it like it was yesterday. After a few days with you, I never wanted to leave. When I had to go, I’d never thought I’d see you again. When we met each other again, I saw myself here on this altar, saying these exact words. As soon as I saw you again, I knew what I had to do. No, what I _wanted_ to do, and here we are. I’m about to make the most important decision of my life, and I like to think I made the right one.”

With a gesture of her hand, Enma prompted Fubuki to bring the two rings. After a short talk with Ryan, Amelia decided that she would rather have rings than wedding bands. “With these rings, I wed my two best friends,” Fubuki gently slipped a ring on each of their left ring fingers.

“I now officially pronounce you two wife and wife,” Enma shot Fubuki a glare, causing the couple to chuckle slightly. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Ryan noticed the small jets of water spout from the bottom of Gura’s feet as she leaped into Amelia’s arms, uniting their lips. The thirteen-year-old in Ryan’s brain wanted to look away, but he didn’t out of respect. He’s watched enough anime to stomach this. A soft smile formed on Ryan’s face. At least someone got their happy ending.

-

“You know,” Ina walked up to Ryan, tako shaped tacos on her plate. “Since Ame and Gura are married now and Calli’s _definitely_ hiding a ring somewhere, maybe we should get together.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Ryan stared off at the crowd mingling amongst each other before putting a finger to his temple. “Nothing against you, but I have too much going on here to go through with a marriage.”

“Hey Ina-chan!” A man with dark blue hair with yellow streaks walked up to the two. “Have you seen Roberu anywhere?”

“I haven’t, actually. That’s weird,” Ina put a finger to her chin, her flaps wiggling as she thought. After a couple seconds of her flaps going back and forth, she shook her head, turning towards Ryan. “By the way, Leda-kun. This is Ryan Shade. He’s been working at Kiara’s joint recently.”

“Ah, so you’re the famous best man,” The man gave Ryan a polite smile. “I’ve heard your gunplay gives Ame-chan a run for her money. I’m Astel Leda. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m new to this whole weapons thing, but I try my best,” Ryan returned the polite smile as he shook his hand, trying his best to be modest. As the two detached hands, time froze, the scenery going gray.

“You know, I’m in the middle of something,” Ryan turned to meet Storm. “I don’t need your monotone vibes killing this wedding.”

“Come outside,” Storm turned for the exit. “This is of upmost importance.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan grumbled, following the cloaked man out.

-

As the two men finished introducing each other, Ryan suddenly vanished into thin air. “I thought he was human,” Ina said as she looked around.

“You mean Ame-chan’s best man doesn’t even have magic?” Leda asked. Though a lot of the Hololive and Holostars talents were born humans, they were mostly referred to as mages.

“He’s a special one,” Ina smiled to him. “Now, let’s tako bout something else. I was hoping to see Nene-chan somewhere.”

-

“Now, what the hell do you want?” Ryan shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. He knew he shouldn’t be hostile, but this Storm guy was popping up in the most inconvenient of times.

“It’s time,” Storm turned to him, pausing for what Ryan assumed was dramatic effect. “The time has come for you to receive your memories.”

“So, someone _was_ hiding my memories from me,” Ryan sighed. He thought back on the past year. Sure, it was bad, but did he _want_ his memories back? What would happen? What would he gain? What would he lose? There was a very real chance that if he received his memories, then working at KFP would get significantly harder, if not impossible. He sighed.

_Screw it._

“You know what? Fuck it,” Ryan’s gaze hardened. “I don’t want those memories. People have been intentionally hiding my memories for a reason, and honestly, I would rather just live in ignorance. I’m happy with the life I got. I don’t need no damn memories.”

“You’ve matured,” Storm said. For some reason, Ryan felt Storm smile, much like he did with Reporter. “If you don’t your memories, that’s fine, but I must return your magic.”

“My magic?” Ryan asked. He had magic?! Now that was a surprise.

“Yes, you will need it in the near future,” Storm replied.

“Well, let’s get on with this,” Ryan said. “If I can use it to protect my friends, then I’ll take anything I need. Plus, it’ll be fun to learn some new tricks. I can’t have guns on me all the time.”

“Alright, I’ll implant some basic memories along with your abilities,” Storm said. “All I need to do is void the barriers that are in your system.”

 _Void? Barrier?_ Something clicked in Ryan’s head, creating the most farfetched conspiracy theory in his head.

“You were the one who destroyed YAGOO’s barrier, weren’t you?” Ryan asked. He honestly didn’t expect the things coming out of his mouth to say, but it was worth a shot.

“If I didn’t, many more would have died,” Storm replied, shocking Ryan to the core. “It was the will of the void, and its will is my command.”

“Well fuck you too then,” Ryan sneered. He didn’t care about some stupid void. This man killed his friends. “Get me out of here. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

“I understand how you feel,” Storm held out his hand, a glowing ball forming above his palm. “However, I have one last gift for you.”

The ball suddenly shot itself into Ryan’s chest, creating an unbearable pain. Ryan screamed as his vision filled with a bright flash. And then, nothing.

-

“That was fun,” Botan sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment, taking off her Adidas jacket. She then threw it with a soft “poi”, the jacket landing neatly on a coat hanger.

As she walked into a kitchen, she jumped when she saw a gray bento box with white flowers etched onto the top of the box. She opened it curiously and smiled. This was Aloe’s cooking. No doubt about it. “It’s good to see you’re around, old friend.”

-

**Day 22: Magic**

_“Sensei!” Calli screamed as she watched a man jump in between her and a shining lance. As the lance impaled the man, he reached out and grabbed his attacker’s face, which erupted into black flames. The man then turned to Calli, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth._

_“Live, my pupil… succeed me well…”_

Calli woke with a start. She wiped her cheek before examining her finger, which a tear lay stationary. “A dream..?” She asked herself before sighing. “Fuck.”

-

Ryan shot up when the familiar ring of his phone awoke him. “What the hell happened?” He asked himself as he looked around. Last thing he remembered, he was with that bastard Storm and…

 _No wait,_ Ryan sifted though with memories. What he found was something like a how-to article on how to use magic, as if it had been ingrained into his memory. The amount of information was astounding.

 _I’m capable of all this?_ Ryan thought to himself as he sifted through his memories. The phone’s continued ringing snapped Ryan from his stupor. He grabbed the phone, answering it.

“Morn-,”

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara’s voice cut him off almost instantly. “I didn’t see you at the recession. Where did you go?”

“I… don’t know,” Ryan sighed. He held out his free hand, palm up. A small flame flickered on top of it, dancing around his palm.

 _So cool,_ Ryan stared at the flame, completely mesmerized.

“Are you listening to me?” Kiara asked through the phone, causing Ryan to jump. The flame suddenly jutted off his palm towards his phone, causing it to explode.

“HOLY SHIT!” Ryan dropped the phone, his hands flying upwards. As he did, water flew out of his palms, causing the water to rain down all over his room, extinguishing the fire. He looked at the burnt heap of metal that was once his phone. “Well, this is going to take some getting used to.”

-

As soon as Ryan walked through the magical barrier, his instincts screamed for him to move. He dived just in time to miss a blade of fire that was aimed for his neck. As he stood up, he saw Kiara dashing towards him with her sword in hand, wings of fire jutting from her back. Ryan instinctively held his hands out, closing his eyes in a feeble attempt to block, but with a soft glow, something formed within his grasp. His eyes shot open as he heard the clanging of metal to see that he was holding a jet black sword, vines of ruby etched into the blade and the guard sprouting from a red gem at the bottom of the hilt.

 _Huh, I thought Tenchou’s sword was plasma,_ Despite the situation, what intrigued Ryan was the blade of his attacker. _Why was the sound of clashing metal?_

“Who the hell are you and what did you do with my employee?!” Kiara spat, adding more force into her blade as sparks flew from where the two weapons clashed.

“Woah, Tenchou,” Ryan jumped back as he felt himself losing the struggle. He dropped the sword, holding his hands up in surrender. He felt some sort of aura from the sword which Ryan somehow knew was malicious but ignored it for the time being. There were more pressing matters in the moment. “It’s me.”

“Ryan doesn’t have magic and your presence was enough to put strain on this barrier,” Kiara didn’t attack, but Ryan knew she would at a moment’s notice. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

Ryan scratched the back of his head, sifting through his memories. Sure enough, there was a section dedicated to concealing his presence and not letting all of his magic leak from his body. “My bad,” Ryan sighed as he focused on the memory, following the instructions listed. “I’m still getting the hang of this magic thing, but I assure you, I am still me.”

“Prove it,” Kiara narrowed her eyes, obviously still not trusting Ryan. Ryan didn’t account for this, but he knew what to do. He grabbed the collar of his hoodie and pulled it down to the direction of his right shoulder. What was revealed was a scar in the shape of the laser that pierced him only a couple days prior. Of course, it was completely healed, but it still did leave a scar. Ryan didn’t mind this, of course. He thought it looked badass.

“Well, I got this when I saved your ass a couple days ago, so there’s that,” Ryan sighed. “Man, I didn’t even ask for this shit. First thing I do with it is blow up my phone.”

“Ryan?” Kiara did an instant 180, tackling Ryan into a hug. “I was so worried! When I heard the explosion, I thought someone went to assassinate you!”

“Why would someone assassinate me?” The more people that gave Ryan hugs, the more he started to appreciate them. Maybe hugs were a good thing after all.

“Nevermind that,” Kiara pulled away from Ryan. “Where did you get all that magic power?”

“Dunno,” Ryan replied, cracking his back. “Some weird dude gave me a ball of light and suddenly I have magic.”

 _Fuck this,_ Ryan heard an androgynous voice in his head. When he looked around, he noticed that the sword was gone.

 _What the hell?_ Ryan asked himself but didn’t really care at this point.

“How about we get to work” Ryan asked. Kiara smiled.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

-

Ryan almost forgot what day it was. “Crap! I forgot to get the sake!”

“You’re right!” Kiara said. “Wait, how did you know we needed sake?”

“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” Ryan said. “Give me a second.”

He sifted through his memories to see if there was a way he could get sake. “Perfect! Portals!” He concentrated as he held his hand out, a portal appearing before him. He stuck his hand in and pulled out a bottle of sake.

-

Marine was looking for her next victim to get a drink off of. Since she was (forever) seventeen, she technically couldn’t buy alcohol. She made a turn to see if anyone was at the sake isle to see a hand grabbing a bottle of sake before disappearing through a portal. “What the fuck?” What she saw was enough for her to break character. “What the hell just happened?”

-

“Isn’t that stealing?” Kiara asked as Ryan gave her the bottle of sake he “acquired” through his newfound magic.

“Well, they assassinated me, so I’ll call it even,” Ryan still wasn’t over his brief stint with death, especially now that he knew who destroyed the barrier.

“But you just asked…” Kiara sighed, shaking her head. There was a lot about Ryan that didn’t make sense.

“Poi!” Botan hopped through the door. “Oh, it’s the best man! I didn’t see you at the recession. I really wanted to meet the person who gained Watson’s respect so quickly.”

“Morning, Shishiro-san,” Ryan said, placing four sake cups on the table before showing her the bottle of sake. “Did I get the right one?”

“Yes…” Botan narrowed her eyes. “It seems I’m at a disadvantage…”

“Huh, so that’s what it feels to be on the other side of that,” Ryan silently cursed himself for letting the fact that he knew their names slip again. It was a force of habit, and by golly was it a bad one. He then remembered that Botan was a pro gamer. “Name’s Ryan Shade.”

“Nice to meet you, Ryan,” Botan offered him a smile. Kiara probably briefed him on what was going on. It was either that or he was a fan. Low chance, though because Ryan didn’t bring up her career. She sat down at one of the seats as Ryan poured her a cup of sake. “I assume you know what’s going on, yes?”

“A fair idea, though I don’t think it’s my place to say,” Ryan replied. Kiara gave him a confused look, but now wasn’t the time to interrogate him.

“Botan-chan!” Lamy burst through the doors, a light blue bento box in hand. “Did you also get one of these?”

“Yes,” Botan shoved her hand in her Adidas jacket and pulled out a gray bento box, each box having a matching set of white flowers designed on the box. “It seems that someone paid us a visit.”

“POL!” Polka dived through the doors, somehow flying across the room, tackling both Botan and Lamy at the same time.

“Omaru-san,” Ryan smiled, pouring her a cup of sake. “Before I give you this cup, please promise not to drink too much.”

“Who do you take me for?!” Polka grabbed the cup, downing it in one go. “There’s no such thing as too much.”

Ryan sighed as Polka shoved the cup in his face. Seeing no other option, he poured her another cup.

“SUPERNENECHI HAS ARRIVED!” Nene barreled through the doors, talking a spot next to Polka. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Yes, Momosuzu-san, it’s me,” Ryan said, unamused.

“Did you two also get bento boxes?” Lamy asked.

“Yep!” Polka chirped, talking off her hat, pulling the brown box out of her hat, which Ryan noted was smaller than the box. Probably some circus magic. Nene waved her hand and a yellow bento box appeared on the table. “It tasted just like Aloe-chan’s cooking too!”

“It did,” Botan nodded, a nostalgic smile on her face. Ryan smiled at the four and looked up to see a familiar figure.

“Give me a second,” Ryan said, stepping outside. Instincts taking over, he held out his hand, a black fire took form, extending until a double-bladed scythe found itself firmly locked in Ryan’s right hand, eyes burning with rage as he confronted Storm.

“Doesn’t that scythe look a lot like Calliope-chan’s?” Lamy looked at Kiara.

“Yeah,” Kiara said, equally stunned and curious. “It does.

-

Calli looked down at a certain grave, an onyx blade at the foot of the grave. Calli felt a tingling in her spine, causing her to look up. “Sensei..?”

-

“I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again,” Ryan spat. He really didn’t know how to use the scythe that magically found itself in his hands, but damn did it look intimidation.

“I understand how you feel,” Storm took a notebook out of his cloak and handed it to Ryan. “However, I am not here on official business. A… friend asked me for a favor.”

“What’s this?” Ryan asked, narrowing his eyes at Storm.

“A gift from Aloe,” Storm replied. “She wanted to give this to her sisters.”

“Sisters?” Ryan asked.

“Look behind you,” Storm said. Ryan turned to see Lamy, Botan, Polka, and Nene chatting and drinking. Ryan turned around, opening his mouth, but Storm was gone. He sighed, relaxing his hand. When he loosened his grip, the scythe vanished in another torrent of black flames. Ryan didn’t really want to ask, but the scythe intrigued him. Something felt… off about the scythe, but it also felt familiar in his grasp. Maybe it had something to do with his past. He shrugged, walking into the restaurant. He willingly gave up his memories, so he shouldn’t have the right to ask.

“What did he want?” Kiara asked. “Also, why were you so hostile with him?”

“He killed all my friends,” Ryan said. He wasn’t _lying_ per say, so he decided that that was an apt answer. He put the notebook on the counter. “But he wanted you guys to have this.”

“Wow, your life sounds like some edgy teen is trying to make it as edgy as possible,” Kiara deadpanned.

“I know, right?” Ryan chuckled. “I’m going to clock out early. I need answers.”

-

As Ryan left, the remaining members of Holofive looked through the notebook. “These…” Botan traced her finger on a line of writing. “These are Aloe’s bento recipes.”

“It seems so,” Lamy said, reading through another page. “I wonder how he got these.”

-

As Ryan walked down the alley, he felt a presence behind him. He turned his head slightly to see Calli staring at him. “Yes?” He didn’t mean to come off as aggressively as he did, but he was already in a bad mood.

“I’m sorry,” Calli closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I seem to have the wrong person.”

As she disappeared in a gust of black mist. Ryan scratched the back of his head, sighing. “What the hell?”

-

**Day 23: Idols**

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan grumbled. His room was in absolute shambles and he was bone tired after countless hours of experimenting with his magic. The only thing he succeeded in doing was finding out what kind of spells did what, other than absolutely trashing his room.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “This magic thing is kind of rough.”

“I understand how it is,” Kiara said. “Do you want the day off?”

“It’s okay,” Ryan smiled. “It means a lot that you care for my well-being, but I shouldn’t take advantage of that.”

“You su-,” Kiara cut herself off. “What did you say?! Next time you assume that I care about you, we’ll be spending the day in the _usual room_!”

“Uhh…” Ryan didn’t know what the “usual room” was, but something told him he didn’t want to know. “Whatever you say, Tenchou.”

“Thought so!” Kiara gave a smug scoff before hanging up the phone.

-

“Morning,” Ryan opened the doors and walked into the restaurant.

“You’ve gotten a lot better in controlling your magic,” Kiara noted, munching on a chicken leg.

“Well, the last thing I need is Calli of all people freaking out,” Ryan said.

“Fair enough,” Kiara smiled.

“Hey, check this out,” Ryan closed his eyes and focused his magical energy around his body. When he opened his eyes, he was in his KFP uniform. “Pretty neat, huh?”

“Great job!” Kiara clapped. Ryan could tell she wasn’t all too impressed, but he appreciated the effort, nonetheless.

“Are we safe?!” Ryan turned around to see two familiar figures barrel through the door. He stepped aside just in time for famous idols Tokino Sora and AZKi to pass by him.

“Ah! Sora-senpai! AZKi-senpai!” Kiara chirped. Her eyes shone with admiration, but Ryan could tell Kiara was trying to keep her cool.

“Ah, you were the ones who sang at Ame and Gura-san’s wedding,” Ryan walked behind the counter, offering a polite smile. One thing he learned from Amelia was that famous people could just be normal. He knew he wouldn’t like to be treated like a god amongst men. “You did very well.”

“Thank you,” Sora offered Ryan a kind smile as she sat down, panting.

“What happened?” Kiara asked, offering the two exhausted idols a glass of water.

“We’ve had a paparazzi on our tails all day,” AZKi replied.

“We just wanted a day off and relax, but I felt their presence as soon as I left my house,” Sora added, taking a large gulp of the water. “Thank you for that, Kiara-chan.”

“That sounds rough,” Ryan said, offering an understanding smile, though he didn’t understand what that life was a single bit.

“Oh, I remember you!” AZKi said after giving Ryan a second look. “You were that one guy at Ame-chan and Same-chan’s wedding who was there for the ceremony and vanished afterwards.”

“Something came up,” Ryan grumbled, not too fond of the events that partook that day. Even though he got some really cool magic powers, finding the guy who basically killed all of his friends the first time around and not being able to do anything to him was very infuriating. “My name’s Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, you probably already know this, but my name is AZKi,” AZKi offered her hand, which Ryan shook.

“My name is Tokino Sora,” Sora smiled as she offered her hand for Ryan to shake as well.

“So, what would you like to order, AZKi-san, Tokino-san?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll just have an order of Fried Birb Wings,” Sora said.

“I’ll have some Phoenix Fire Chicken Legs,” AZKi replied.

“Coming right up,” Ryan smiled softly as he went to the back. First time around, Kiara forced him to _interact_ with people (AN: Yuck) and he wanted to make things a bit more equal this time around. Not that he was against making friends, but he didn’t feel like he was contributing enough to the restaurant. He didn’t want Kiara to pay him for tolerating her, even though that by itself is enough to warrant a six-figure salary.

“So, how have things been?” Ryan heard Kiara asked.

“It’s been alright,” Sora replied. “But ever since my recent boost in numbers, I’ve seemed to have attracted more of the… interesting type.”

“Ah, I see,” Kiara said. “If you need any help, feel free to ask.”

“As much as I want to blast them all away with magic, we all know that would turn out,” Sora groaned. Ryan opened the arid container that was known as the Phoenix Fire Hot Sauce. He resisted the urge to gag as he added a couple drops to the friend chicken. He then washed his hands with three extra pumps of soap to get the spice off his hands (AN: Remember to wash your hands, kids) before going to fry the wings.

“For some reason, my numbers shot up as well right after Sora-chan’s,” AZKi added. “I’ve been getting _way_ too many creepy messages on Tweeter since then.”

“That’s terrible,” Kiara said as Ryan came out of the back with two tubs of chicken in hand. “One order Phoenix Fire Chicken Legs for you, and one order of Fried Birb Wings for you,” Ryan said.

“Thank you, Ryan,” Sora offered him a smile Ryan smiled back as he moved so he sat next to Kiara.

“So, other than changing your clothes, what else can you do with your magic now?” Kiara asked.

“I can destroy my room, apparently,” Ryan said. “I still can’t control it that well.”

“You’re still getting the hang of your magic?” Sora asked. “Nothing against you, but most beings with magic have control over the fundamentals by the time they’re ten.”

“Well, I only unlocked my magic a couple days ago,” Ryan said.

“Really? I was told you raided a MILF stronghold with Amelia a while back,” Sora said. “Did you do that without magic?”

“Not my best moment,” Ryan said, rubbing his shoulder where his circular scar was. “But my boss was in trouble. What else was I supposed to do? Sleep it off?”

“That’s very respectable, especially for a human,” AZKi nodded with approval.

“I never really got to thank you for that,” Kiara moved to give Ryan a peck on the cheek, but Ryan dodged.

“Behind you, Tenchou,” Ryan said. Kiara turned around, her face paling as soon as she saw who was behind her.

“Kusotori…” Calli’s face boiled with rage.

“I can explain…” Kiara looked around. “After I go to the bathroom…”

Kiara instantly bolted. “Get back here, Kusotori!”

“Oh, you want to see me in the bathroom~?”

“S-shut up!” Ryan could hear the sound of things crashing down in the distance.

“Of course, I’m going to be the one to clean up this mess later,” Ryan grumbled to himself, causing Sora and AKZi to laugh. Yeah, this life wasn’t too bad.

-

“Do you know where Yogiri went?” Artia asked. Artia, Rosalyn, Spade Echo, and Doris were in a run-down basement in China. They were among some of the last, if not _the_ last magical beings in China, as MILF decided to completely genocide them all. They’ve been hiding out in this basement for about a month, having to constantly find hiding places for the past two years since the extermination order was carried out two years ago.

“She went out to save Civia, but I can’t track her anymore,” Rosalyn said, looking through a book that was glowing faintly. “She’s either dead or outside of the country.”

“Let’s pray that it is the latter,” Doris said. “What do we do now?”

“Echo, are you able to send out a beacon?” Artia asked.

“I am, but I’m not sure if anyone will be able to pick up on a magical beacon,” Spade Echo replied. “I can’t do any other type of beacon for… obvious reasons.”

“That’s fine,” Rosalyn closed her book. “We’re running out of options. Send the beacon.”

-

Shade walked through a heaping pile of ash that was once a MILF stronghold, not unlike the one Ryan raided a few days prior. He looked up into the sky. “They need help,” he said to himself. “Maybe it is finally time for us to mobilize.”

-

“Are you sure you don’t want anyone to know?” Roberu asked.

“Yes,” Yogiri replied. “For all we know, the UN thinks we’re dead. The more people who think that the better.”

Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing Yogiri to gasp and activate an invisibility spell. “Don’t worry, Yogiri,” the figure who opened the door revealed himself to be YAGOO. “I received a magical beacon from Spade Echo. I’m afraid that we need to get all hands on deck.”

-

“It seems that they have finally called for help,” Storm looked off into the endless void.

“What do you think will happen?” Aloe asked, watching one of Botan’s livestreams through a TV.

“Sup, old man,” Reporter appeared into the void. “It looks like shit’s hitting the fan, huh?”

“Yes,” Storm turned to Reporter and Aloe. “The final battle approaches. We very well have to take action. Prepare yourselves.”

-

Ryan sighed as he concentrated his magic, changing his clothes back to his standard hoodie and sweats. As he walked down the alley, an invisible force hit the back of his head like a freight train. _Help. Help us. Please help. We need help. Please,_ Ryan fell to his knees, his mind being overwhelmed with pleas for help.

 _I can’t… pass out… not again…_ Ryan forced himself up as the pleas slowly started to subside. That was it. That was the final straw. He needed answers. What was that bombardment of cries for help? He wiped a tear from his eye. The tear was caused partially because of the pain, but another part was because he could _feel_ the desperation from the voices. He wanted to help, against his better judgement. He knew someone who most likely had the answer, but he didn’t like that person. No matter, he will show himself to Ryan eventually. For now, he needed to work on his magic. He had a bad feeling, and he could never be too prepared for whatever will happen next.

-

**Day 24: Rising Up**

“Did you hear the news?” Kiara asked through the phone. When Kiara didn’t shout her catchphrase as soon as Ryan picked up the phone, he knew something was wrong.

“No, what’s up?” Ryan asked. He sat up on his mattress, as he destroyed his bed the previous night. He was grateful for how much Kiara was paying him, if not things would get rough for him financially.

“The idol group I’m a part of has a branch in China,” Kiara started. “I’m sure you’ve seen how bad things are in China from the news…”

“Although I don’t really believe you’re an idol, let’s say I believe you,” Ryan ignored the pout that Kiara made as he was talking. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. I need to clear things with YAGOO before we can do anything,” Kiara said. “For now, just come to work like normal.”

“You know, I’m here if you need me,” Ryan offered. He may have only known Kiara for a few weeks, but he could tell when she’s distressed. Plus, what are friends for?

“Thanks, Ryan,” Kiara said softly. “I’ll consider it.”

-

“Yogiri-senpai!” Kiara dived over the counter, somehow flying over Ryan who was on the other side of the room. Ryan heard a soft “uff!” and turned around to see Kiara nuzzling a girl with red hair and white streaks. The clothing the girl gave off a delinquent vibe, but something told Ryan that this wasn’t really the case. “It’s been so long!”

“Kiara-chan!” The girl desperately tried to push her off, but Kiara was too strong. “Too… tight…”

“Ah!” Kiara speedily backed away, putting her hands in the air. “I’m sorry! How have you been?”

“I’ve been better,” Yogiri rubbed the back of her neck, revealing a familiar looking scar on the side of her neck.

“Ah, those laser guns can be a bitch, huh?” Ryan rubbed his shoulder. It was an odd thing to have common ground on, but It was something. “Name’s Ryan Shade. I’m Takanashi-san’s employee.”

“You can call me Kiara,” Kiara smiled at Ryan. “You saved my life after all.”

“I’m sure you could’ve handled it yourself,” Ryan said.

“YAGOO-san told me about you,” Yogiri offered Ryan a kind smile which completely juxtaposed her outfit and demeanor. “You’ve done a lot for us. I couldn’t thank you enough.”

“So, how’s the Big Boss doing?!” Kiara slapped Yogiri’s back playfully, but her wince didn’t escape Ryan.

“Not good,” Yogiri strained a smile. “Things have been getting dicey in China. If I didn’t find my way in Roberu-san’s bar, Civia and I wouldn’t have made it.”

“That’s terrible!” Kiara looked genuinely horrified. “Do you know where the others are?”

“They’re probably still in China,” Yogiri replied. “YAGOO-san said that Spade Echo sent out a beacon, but as far as I know, no one has received it other than him.”

Ryan thought about what happened yesterday. Those voices in his head and whatever beacon Yogiri was talking about probably had no correlation, but it never hurt to ask. “I’m not sure, but on my way home from work, I was bombarded with some kind of psychic message. Kind of like a bunch of pleas for help.”

“That very well might be the case,” Yogiri nodded, deep in thought. “Though to detect Spade Echo’s beacon from China means that you’re a very powerful sage or sensor. What are you doing working at a fast-food joint? You could be making millions as recon for several magical communities.”

“I just got my magic powers a few days ago,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t really know how it all works.”

“Sorry I’m late! YAGOO-san had to give me a health checkup!” A girl burst through the doors, obviously flustered. The thing that stood out to Ryan was the unicorn horn and the dress, which seemed out of place for a modern setting. “Kiara-chan! It’s been so long!”

“Civia-senpai!” Kiara tackled the unicorn into a hug, which Civia returned with matching enthusiasm. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Things have been better,” Civia pulled away from Kiara. “I’m really worried about everyone, but YAGOO-san said that we’re going to get them.”

“Really?” Kiara put a finger on her chin and tilted her head. “I wonder what he’s up to.”

-

“Mama! I’m home!” Rushia opened the door. “How was your day?”

“Rushia,” Rushimama was looking at a phone, a deathly expression on her face.

“Mama...?” Rushia’s mother was usually a very wholesome person, but when someone pissed her off, Matsuri have mercy.

“YAGOO called,” Rushimama turned to her daughter. Despite the smile she had, Rushia could see the rage in her eyes. “Apparently _someone_ decided to use one of your coworkers for their experiments. Pack your bags. We’re going on a trip.”

-

“Probably preaching his crushed dreams or something,” Yogiri said. “I wonder if _they_ are going to get involved.”

“Who are _they_?” Ryan asked, mimicking Yogiri’s emphasis.

“The masked mages,” Kiara replied, causing everyone’s attention to shift to the manager. “You’ve already met a few of them, Ryan. I think the surviving ones are all here in Japan as we speak.”

“Really?!” Yogiri’s eyes sparked. “If they joined, then we have a real chance!”

“Are these people really that strong?” An image of Sabrina blushing profusely and snapping at him like a tsundere flashed through his head. “They can’t be _that_ great.”

“Well…” Kiara put a finger on her chin before shuddering. “Let’s not talk about that.”

“I probably don’t want to know anyways,” Ryan sighed. “Now, what would you two like to eat?”

-

“Looks like you’re in a pickle,” Shade said, causing YAGOO to jump.

“I think if we play our cards right, taking out MILF in its entirety can be a possibility,” YAGOO turned to face storm. “I’m not sure if we have the firepower, though.”

“Don’t worry about firepower,” Shade said. “I have reason to believe that you will be fine, but you will need _everybody_.”

“I was planning on that,” YAGOO said. “I was able to convince Rushimama to come out of retirement.”

“I see,” Shade nodded. “Go do your thing. I’ll go do mine.”

“Understood,” YAGOO nodded as the two vanished from sight.

-

“So, we’re really getting involved, huh?” Reporter said, fastening some sort of gauntlets onto his hands.

“If the void wills it, it shall be done,” A knife of darkness formed in Storm’s hands.

“Do you think you will reunite with her once more?” Reporter asked.

“Whether Anya wants to become a weapon once more is up to her,” Storm examined the blade. “Regardless, I will still fight. I failed my brothers once before. I will not do it again.”

“Don’t count me out of this,” Aloe stood up. “I won’t let you fight alone. I think it’s high time for HoloFive to reunite.”

Reporter smirked underneath his mask. The pieces were falling into place.

-

“Oh, YAGOO!” Kiara chirped as the sage walked into the fast-food joint. “How are things going?”

“In a few days, we’re going to be calling all hands-on deck,” YAGOO replied. “We’re going to be raiding China.”

“Raiding China, huh?” Ryan came out of the back with two tubs of chicken. “Would you like to order something as well?”

“Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to come with us,” YAGOO said. “I know you only recently gained your abilities back, but we need everyone we can get.”

“Are you going to go?” Ryan asked Kiara, who nodded. “Well, I guess I have nothing better to do.”

“Really?” Civia looked up at Ryan, her eyes sparkling. “Thank you!”

“Eh, I made a promise to Calliope-san that I would make sure ‘the bird’ won’t do anything stupid,” Ryan said with air quotes. “I’m just upholding that promise.”

“I don’t remember you making any promises like that,” Kiara said. Ryan sighed. Of course, that was the promise he made on his first day. “Plus, Calli is going to be there too.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I have anything better to do. If you’re going to go off to China for a few days, then I’ll be out of a job for those few days,” Ryan said. “Let’s just call it a business trip.”

“Are you sure?” Kiara asked. “It’s going to be dangerous.”

“And getting blasted through the shoulder wasn’t?” Ryan shot back.

“That’s fair,” Kiara sighed. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled reassuringly. “I appreciate the concern, but my good conscience can’t let you go off while I stay here.”

“Awhhh this is so cute!” Civia squealed.

“Does it look like it?” Ryan asked. “I sure hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to die.”

“Why would you die-,” Just as she asked, something clicked in Civia’s head. “I see. That makes sense, then.”

“How could you forget about Calliope-chan?” Yogiri facepalmed.

“Now, now,” YAGOO smiled, ever the peacemaker. “I have to go notify everyone else. We probably won’t attack for a couple days, but I’ll keep all of you updated.”

“Sounds good,” Ryan offered YAGOO a smile as he turned and left.

“We should probably go too,” Yogiri stood up. “Roberu will probably start to get worried after a while.”

“I’m sorry we don’t have any money!” Civia bowed to Ryan and Kiara.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “It’s not like people pay here anyways.”

“Really?” Civia asked. “That’s weird. Isn’t this a restaurant?”

“So, you picked up on that,” Kiara said. “It’s true. This is just a place to hang out and put our hair down. All the meals are subsidized by me.”

“Speaking of meals, can you put in an extra order of doughnuts for me?” Ryan asked, remembering the time Matsuri came in.

“Sure!” Kiara chirped. “Wait, how did you know about the doughnuts?”

“I know a lot of things,” Ryan winked. So, that’s how it felt to be on the other side of that.

-

Ryan sighed as he walked through the alley. What could he do? He wasn’t exactly ready to raid the MILF capital of the world (AN: That sounds pretty nice under different circumstances) with the level of magic that he got. He went through his options. When he settled on the best option, he scoffed. He really didn’t want to go to _him_ , but he had to do what needs to be done.

“I see you’ve come to your senses,” Ryan stopped when he heard a voice behind him.

“I will never bow to you,” Ryan turned to stare down Storm. “But your help will really be appreciated.”

“It may not look like it, but we’re on the same side,” Storm replied. “Come, we have much to do.”

-

**Day 25: Ripples**

“Are you ready?” Rushimama and Rushia stood on opposite sides of a large and complex magical circle.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Rushia gave her mother a confident nod. She took a deep breath as black mist spread throughout the floor of the room.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” The black mist rose until Calli stepped out of the mist.

“Is there any reason we can’t?” Rushimama shot Calli an intimidating glare.

“Relax,” Calli held her hands up. Even though Calli was more powerful than Rushimama (AN: Sure. Keep telling yourself that) and was practically immortal, Rushimama still scared her to an extent. She’d never admit it, but Rushimama could be terrifying when she wanted to be. “I pulled some strings, but the magic it would take to revive _her_ would be immense.”

“Well, what are we going to do about that?” Rushimama asked, her glare not relaxing in the slightest.

“I have no choice, then,” Calli sighed. “I guess I owe Ryan one, anyways. I’m not doing this because I’m scared of you or anything.” (AN: Again, sure.)

“Thank you, Calliope-chan!” Rushimama clasped her hands together, giving Calli a warm smile. “Now, let’s get started.”

-

“Hey, this is Ryan Shade. Please leave a message or whatever,” Ryan’s voice came out through the phone. Kiara’s face scrunched up in worry. This was the first time Ryan has ever failed to pick up the phone. Even when she called in the middle of the night, he would pick up almost instantly, but this time he didn’t. Something was wrong.

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara exclaimed immediately after the tone rang. She tried to sound as happy as possible, but it was hard. She couldn’t help but worry for her employee. “It’s me, Kiara! I was just calling to remind you to come to work today! If anything is going on, please don’t be afraid to tell me. Just don’t die on me, okay? Bye!”

Kiara hung up the phone, sighing. “I hope he’s okay.”

-

Ryan was most definitely _not_ okay. “Is that all you got?” Storm taunted as Ryan struggled to get up.

“Man, we’ve been doing this for the past however many hours,” Ryan spit out some blood. Storm had been training (read: kicking the crap out of) Ryan ever since Ryan decided to go along with him. Ryan _was_ in fact able to show a lot of progress, but Matsuri did it hurt. “Speaking of which, what time is it?”

“It’s…” Storm paused. “5 am.”

“5 am?! I gotta get to work!” Ryan concentrated his magic power throughout his body, causing his bruises to heal. “Thanks for beating the crap out of me or whatever. I gotta dip.”

Ryan held his hand out and a portal formed in front of it. Storm sighed as he hopped through, the portal. “What am I going to do with you?”

-

“Sorry I’m late!” Ryan hopped through the portal into the KFP. “I got caught up with this thing and lost track of time.”

“Ryan! I thought someone tried to assassinate you or something!” Kiara ran out from the back.

“I thought we’ve been over this,” Ryan sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t know why someone would assassinate you.”

“Magical or not, you’ve instigated the United Nations,” Kiara said. “Assassination is a very real possibility now.”

“You know,” Ryan put a finger to his chin before flicking it forward. “I really hate it when you’re right.”

“Glad that we’re on the same page,” Kiara smiled. “Now get behind the counter.”

“I haven’t heard anything from Calliope-san in a while,” Ryan said. “Do you know where she went?”

“She said that she had to do something work related, but Calli told me she was forced on leave last month,” Kiara said.

“She might need to prepare for what will happen in a few days,” Ryan shuddered. “I don’t want to imagine what is going to happen to the poor souls that will be put in Hoshimachi-san’s path.”

“That _does_ sound scary,” Kiara said. “Oh! Your doughnuts came in, by the way.”

“Really?!” Ryan’s eyes started to sparkle comically. “Where?!”

“Right over the-,” Kiara started, but Ryan was already munching on a box of doughnuts he grabbed through a portal. “You’re enjoying your magic way too much, aren’t you?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Ryan said through bites.

“Did we come at a bad time?” Both Kiara and Ryan jumped when they heard Amelia’s voice. They turned to see Gura and Amelia holding hands.

“Hey, Ame, Gura-san,” Ryan smiled as he took another bite of his doughnut. “Want one?”

“I’ll take one!” Gura bolted over and took a doughnut that Ryan offered to her.

“You’ll give up your wife’s hand for a doughnut?” Amelia held her hands close to her heart in a faux expression of pain. “Oh, how you wound me.”

“Yeah, yeah just get over here,” Gura waved her hand dismissively, far more enticed on her doughnut.

“Did you meet Civia and Yogiri yet?” Kiara asked as Amelia walked over to sit down next to Gura in time for Ryan to pour her a cup a tea.

“You should’ve _seen_ the looks on their faces when they saw the rings,” Amelia chuckled. “ _That_ was an interesting reunion.”

“Are you going to be going to China?” Ryan asked, swiftly grabbing the last doughnut.

“Hey!” Gura pouted.

“I ordered them, so they’re mine,” Ryan smirked as he took a bite, much to Gura’s complete anguish.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Amelia chuckled at Gura’s antics. “Honey, we can get more later.”

“Fine,” Gura crossed her arms and looked away in a pout.

“What about you guys? You coming with us?” Amelia asked.

“I don’t think we should be talking about a national raid like a vacation, but yes, we’re coming,” Ryan said as he finished the last of his doughnut.

“So, I heard you got magic,” Amelia smirked at Ryan, narrowing her eyes in intrigue as she leaned in on the counter, holing her head up with her palms.

“Yeah, some evil old man beat it into me,” Ryan said. “Speaking of which, I found the guy who caused the attack.”

“Really?” Amelia’s eyes widened in shock. Gura got the message, her eyes flickering towards her spouse with worry. Gura knew that it was a touchy subject and couldn’t help but worry.

“What attack?” Kiara asked.

“It… has to do with how Ame and I met,” Ryan said, looking down. Ryan didn’t know if Kiara got the message, but she decided not to press on.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Amelia said. She didn’t s _eem_ shaken, but there was an unspoken agreement between the two that the attack on the KFP first time around was still a turning point in both of their lives. “Anyways, what can you do with you magic?”

“Well, according to that old bastard,” Ryan refused to say Storm’s name out loud, either out of spite or fear that uttering his name would somehow summon him, “I can kind of do a bit of everything. He mostly wants me to focus on weapons, though. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I have a lot of relics in my magic storage or something like that.”

“Huh, we need to get together and take a look at those,” Amelia smirked. Ryan shuddered.

“I’m not sure I want to be on the other side of your guns,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, fair enough,” Amelia chuckled.

“Ame! Can we get doughnuts now?” Gura tugged on Amelia’s sleeve.

“Fine, fine,” Amelia sighed and got up. “I guess I’ll see you in a few days. For now, I have an Apex Predator to feed.”

“Your darn right you do!” Gura cheered as she dragged Amelia out of the store. Ryan shuddered as the doors closed.

“You okay?” Kiara asked.

“I don’t know,” Ryan said. “All I can say is that I have a bad feeling.”

-

“You ready?” A dark light glowed on the tips of Calli’s outstretched fingers as she channeled her magic into the circle.

“I guess I’m ready as I’ll ever be,” Rushia said, outstretching her hand.

“There’s no turning back after this,” Rushimama said, a green hue escaping from her outstretched palms.

“Alright, let’s get started,” The three closed their eyes and channeled their energy into the magical circle. The green hues of energy intertwined with the darkness that Calli emanated as an explosion of light and power overtook the room. When the light vanished, another person was in the room, standing in the middle of the circle, wearing nothing but a light blue dress. When she opened her eyes, they were a hot pink but when she blinked, the color shifted into an icy blue.

“Alright,” Rushimama lowered her hands and approached the girl. “Welcome back to the land of the living. Do you remember your name?”

The girl stared down Rushimama, who was about eye level to her, her gaze as cold and icy as the ninth circle of hell. “My name is Brianna Edhas,” the girl replied. “Where is my brother?”

-

**Day 26: Declarations**

“HEY RYAN!” Ryan was surprised when Kiara’s voice wasn’t the one to come through the phone, despite Kiara being the one to call him.

“Usada-san?” Ryan asked.

“Yep! Kiara-chan told me a lot about you! She’s preparing right now and wanted you to come in early because there will be a lot of people coming today!” Pekora exclaimed through the phone.

“Alright, I guess I’ll be there in five,” Ryan said, hanging up the phone. He knew he could just use a portal to arrive at the KFP instantly, but he refused to give up the walk to work. He liked his daily routine and taking a fundamental part out of it would be criminal.

-

“Morning,” Ryan cracked his neck that he walked in. “I heard a lot of people were coming in today?”

“Pekora-senpai!” Kiara shouted from the back. “Don’t come in here!”

“Do amo do amo do ama!” Ryan heard Pekora’s voice followed by multiple items crashing to the floor. Ryan cautiously walked over to the back room to see Pekora waving around a giant carrot.

“It’s too early for this shit,” Ryan sighed before walking up behind Pekora and plucking the carrot from her hand. “If you’re going to hit someone of something, please do it in the main room.”

“Boo!” Pekora pouted as Ryan gave her back her carrot, leading Ryan and Kiara back the restaurant, where Rushia, Pekomama, and a taller green-haired woman who Ryan assumed was Rushia’s mother.

“Hello and welcome to KFP,” Ryan said with a smile, catching their attention. He honestly surprised himself by not slipping the fact that he already knew Rushia’s name. “My name is Ryan Shade. It is nice to meet all of you.”

“Hello! I am the super sexy boing boing necromancer Uruha Rushia!” Rushia waved her hand in the air as she introduced herself, a smile on her face before turning to the taller (more boing boing) woman. “This is my mother!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Ryan,” Rushia’s mother gave Ryan a kind smile. “You may call me Rushimama.”

“You may call me Pekomama,” Pekora’s mother offered a similar smile. “I’m sure my daughter has already introduced herself.”

“Yep! We talked over the phone!” Pekora waved the giant carrot around before taking a large bite.

“Tenchou speaks very highly of you, Usada-san,” Ryan said. He wasn’t lying as Kiara devolved into a massive simp when Pekora entered the room first time around.

“Are you bringing the armies of Pekoland with you?” Rushimama turned to Pekomama. “Depending on how things go, this may end up involving them.”

“This is our fight. Though we will be fighting MILF, it is a queen’s job to keep her people safe.” Pekomama replied.

“I see,” Rushimama nodded. “Rushia-chan, Calliope-chan, and I commenced a ritual to bring an… ace if you will. As much as I wanted to bring her here… YAGOO and Shade decided against it. Said that ‘it wasn’t the best idea’.”

“I see,” Pekomama nodded. “I hope they’re right.”

Ryan didn’t feel the need to add into the conversation, but tucked the interaction into his memory, just in case. He turned to his boss. “So, I heard a lot of people were coming in. What’s that about?”

“Well, since the raid is coming in a couple days, people wanted to come here and celebrate,” Kiara replied.

“Oh, I see,” Ryan tried to keep calm, but failed to repress the shudder that crept up his spine when he remembered the last time they tried to “celebrate” something. He held out his hands and summoned a hammer and some metal plating.

“What’s that for?” Kiara asked.

“Just in case Kiryu-san decides to show up,” Ryan thanked his quick thinking for once. In reality, he was scared that MILF would find a way to break through the barrier again.

“You seem to know a lot of things about us,” Kiara narrowed her eyes, causing Ryan to tense. “But you’re right. We should get to work.”

-

Speaking of which, as Ryan was finishing hammering the last nail into the outdoor fortifications, the giant purple dragon landed in front of the fast-food joint. Ryan decided to have a little fun. He walked up to the dragon and started her in the eye. The two stared down each other for a tense moment before a polite customer-service smile grew on Ryan’s face. “Welcome to KFP, how may we help you today?”

The dragon huffed, steam escaping its nostrils before a bright light enveloped the dragon. Ryan kept his smile as the figure shrunk into a rather tall woman with horns. “Good morning, motherfuckers!” She exclaimed as Kanata landed next to her. “Kanatan! You’re late!”

“Well, _I’m_ sorry that I’m not a twenty-meter-tall dragon,” Kanata huffed.

“Is that Pekora-senpai? Let’s go, Kanatan! I want to do a shitpost review with her!” Coco rushed into the joint, ignoring Ryan’s presence completely. Ryan gave a small smile, his eyes following the dragon rush into the store. Well, she was Kiara’s problem now.

“Excuse me?” Ryan turned to see Kanata looking Ryan dead in the eye. “I wanted to thank you for what you did for Coco.”

“I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong person,” Ryan replied, offering the angel a small shrug. “I’ve never met that person in my life.”

-

“Hey, can we talk for a second?” Kiara had her hands on her hips, giving Ryan an expression similar to a mother’s expression after her child broke a glass plate.

“Sure,” Ryan said, obliviously following the store manager to the break room.

“There’s something that’s been bugging me,” Kiara closed the door behind Ryan. “You seem to know a lot of names. I’ve talked to some of them and they never met you before coming here. I’ve done some investigating and some things just haven’t been adding up. Care to explain yourself?”

Ryan shuddered. He knew this moment was going to happen, but he’d been pushing the thought out of his head for a while. As much as he wanted to let everyone live in ignorance of his little journey through time, he knew that at least Kiara deserved the truth. Despite this, the thing was…

“I’m going to be honest; I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it,” Ryan said genuinely. “Who knows, something shitty might happen in a couple days and I’ll have to go through this shit all over again. The last thing I want is to have this conversation multiple times. _If_ we survive day fourteen, then I’ll explain everything. Until then, please. I don’t think I can do it right now.”

Kiara massaged her temples in attempt think. Ryan sighed. In all honesty, he was conflicted, which is why he dropped a couple hints into the situation. He _wanted_ her to know why he said and did what he did. Why he would go raid a military stronghold for a store manager he had known for only a week. “Alright, fine,” Kiara said, taking Ryan off guard. “You have your secrets and to be honest, I have my secrets about you as well. Despite that, you saved my life. I’ll wait until you’re ready to share.”

“I know,” Ryan said. “Thank you for understanding.”

Ryan walked back to go to work, leaving Kiara to blink, processing his reaction. Just how much did Ryan know?

-

When Ryan stepped out, he saw Suisei and a girl with horns and a puffy wool dress casually sitting and chatting with Kanata and Coco. “Hoshimachi-san! It’s nice to finally see you!” Ryan said in a joking tone. He didn’t have any intention of actually attacking her with his words, rather to poke fun at past events. “It’s been a while.”

“It has been a while, Ryan,” Suisei offered a smile which Ryan couldn’t really determine the meaning of.

“Ah, my name is Ryan Shade,” he addressed the three people who never really got the opportunity to meet (read: stalk) him. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

“Name’s Kiryu Coco!”

“Amane Kanata. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Tsunomaki Watame, it’s a pleasure.”

“Pork stew, I’m assuming?” Ryan asked.

“How did you know?” Coco asked. To be fair, the inside joke wasn’t well known.

“I know a lot of things,” Ryan smirked, tapping his forehead. “Now, let me find Tenchou because I don’t really know how to cook it.”

-

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he placed the giant pot on the stove, effectively leaving the hard work to his boss.

“Ohayappi!” A familiar looking girl walked into the restaurant. Ryan recognized the hat, hoodie, and twin tails immediately. Though it was a minor occurrence considering the past few weeks of Ryan’s life, he remembered her slipping an extra 2000 yen in his wallet. What he remembered as well was Kiara talking about how much she hated being called a good person. He resisted the urge to dawn an evil smile.

As the girl walked up and took a seat next to Watame, Ryan slipped a 2000-yen bill over the counter.

“What’s this?” The woman asked.

“Oh, you just seem like a nice person,” Ryan smiled kindly. “I just hope you’ll pay it forward.”

“N-nice?!” Towa exclaimed, obviously offended. “I’m not nice, I’m a devil, you know?!”

“Sure,” Ryan deadpanned, winking at the others on the counter, causing them to laugh. “I’ll believe you.”

He noted Pekora, Pekomama, Rushia, and Rushimama sitting off on one of the tables. Ryan sighed. Despite Pekora and Rushia’s demeanor normally, their talks became far too intense for Ryan’s liking.

“Yubi Yubi!” Ryan shuddered when the yubi-stealing bane of his existence crash through the doors.

“Oh god, someone help,” Ryan whispered to himself. Unfortunately, the only form of assistance that came was Okayu hungrily scanning the crowd, looking for unsuspecting souls to prank.

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said, forcing the memory of fingerless hands deep into his mind. “What would you like today?”

“Give me Yubis!” Korone exclaimed, raising her hand as she took a seat.

“She means head pats,” Okayu said, poorly concealing her sick excitement.

“As much as I would _love_ to,” Ryan shot Okayu a glare, “I have fingers in the back, I think.”

“Yay!” Korone chirped.

“Darn, looks like Kiara-chan already told you about it,” Okayu muttered.

“Nah, I’ve had my fingers removed once,” Ryan said, looking at his wiggling fingers before offering Okayu a playful wink. “It wasn’t pleasant, I’ll say.”

-

“It’s weird, since ten people is usually pretty normal for a fast-food joint,” Ryan placed a plate of fried fingers on the counter at the same time Kiara placed the gigantic pot of pork stew on a table where Coco, Kanata, Suisei, and Watame has since moved too.

“Considering our target audience, then ten people is a lot,” Kiara replied as she walked back to the employee’s side of the counter. “Plus, I think more people are coming.”

“MIKO!” As if on cue, Miko popped into the joint.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE-PEKO?!” Pekora shouted.

“Ara, is that your girlfriend?” Pekomama giggled.

“No!” Pekora’s face turned pale. “Don’t say things like that-peko! You’ll summon _her_!”

Ryan noticed that it was suddenly dark out, which was weird, since the forecast for the day was sunny.

“She’s mine…” As another voice entered the conversation, Ryan shivered as he remembered the first real _scary_ experience he had at the KFP, when the crazy purple-haired lady walked in and almost fought Kiara. Speak of the devil, the girl walked in with a devilish aura surrounding her. Miko turned around to face the woman. The purple-haired girl opened her hand, a rapier being summoned forth.

“FAQ!” Miko reached into her garb and pulled out an unsheathed Shinto. As the two went to clashed, Ryan’s hand glowed as he shoved his hand in front of him where a portal formed. His hand appeared in between them, holding a shining white sword, sapphire blue vines encrusted on the hilt and the blade, intervening between the two fighters.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t fight in here,” Ryan said, shooting the girl and Miko a glare.

“Hey Moona!” Pekora shouted over, catching the purple-haired girl’s attention.

“Sanchou,” Moona bowed respectfully before taking a seat next to her before turning to her mom. “Mother-in-law.”

“Aren’t you married to Iofi-chan?” Rushia asked.

“We… agreed to an… open relationship,” Ryan’s eyebrow twitched as Moona’s eyes darted around nervously.

“Miko-senapi! Come sit with us too!” Pekora called over. Miko obliged begrudgingly, shooting Moona a glare the whole time while sitting on Pekora’s other side. Pekora smiled obliviously as they stared daggers into each other.

“Tenchou, I think I’ll let you deal with that,” Ryan said, honestly not caring for what was going to happen, deliberately walking to Korone and Okayu. “So, how’s your day going?”

“Ah! My day was good!” Ryan still got goosebumps every time Korone took a bite out of a human finger. “What about you?”

“My day was alright, about to bet a lot better,” He shot Okayu a wink, who giggled behind a glass of milk and a bowl of ice cream. He opened a portal behind Okayu and Korone and a few pieces of shrapnel flew through. Ryan peeked over, closing the portal. If kills could look, Miko, Moona, and Kiara would be dead two dozen times over.

“Man, this is going to be a rough day,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head.

-

Ryan sighed as he opened the door to his apartment, scratches all over his uniform. “Maybe I’ll just chill and watch some MeTube today.” As he turned on the computer and typed in the URL, the first video he saw was titled “War” with 3 million views, despite being posted an hour ago. He’s never seen the creator, but he’s heard the name creator. The Masked Mages. For some reason, that name rang a bell in his head. He clicked the link.

“Hello, everyone. You may call me Shade,” the man said. The man had a mask on, similar to Jack, Sabrina, Storm, and Reporter’s masks, except there was a giant number 1 over it. Was this Shade figure their leader? Who knew. “Today, I will speak upon the behalf of the Mask Mages. The United Nations has something we want. In two days, we will be coming in two days. To the forces of MILF, I’m sure you remember us. If you don’t want a repeat of what happened in California, then you’ll steer clear from China.”

Ryan sighed as he turned off the computer. Whoever these Masked Mages are, they will most likely be in China when he will. Either he will be working with them, or against them.

-

“Are you sure posting that video publicly?” YAGOO asked as Shade sipped a cup of hot cocoa through his mask.

“MILF blames us for what happened three years ago,” Shade replied. “They have a bone to pick with us. Publicly calling out them in public would piss them off. From then, we can take them all out.”

“I see,” YAGOO nodded inquisitively as Shade put hand in a cloak, grabbing a mask.

“It’s not too late to join us,” Shade said. “We would be happy to have you with us.”

“I’ll pass,” YAGOO offered Shade a smile. “Honestly, I think I’ve found my home.

-

**Day 27: The Day Before**

“Welcome back,” Shade picked up the mug of hot cocoa on the table. “How was the underworld?”

“Lucifer treated me well,” Brianna replied. “So, when do I get to see him?”

“Probably not until tomorrow,” Shade sipped on the cocoa. Brianna had gotten used to the masks enough to notice that he was uncomfortable.

“Why not?” Brianna asked. “He’s my brother. I should have every right to see him.”

“Well, there were some… circumstances that have come into play since your death,” Shade sighed. Ryan’s memory loss was the last thing Shade wanted to talk about with Ryan’s sister of all people, but alas, he had no choice. “Let me break it down for you…”

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed through the phone. “Are you all packed on China tomorrow?”

“I have to pack?” Ryan asked. “Aren’t we going to be spending the entire time fighting and stuff?”

“No, we ran out of China after _Moona-senpai_ broke everything,” Kiara growled. Ryan sighed, as _Kiara_ was the one to break the China while they were fighting.

“I’ll be sure to get some on the way to work today,” Ryan said.

“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver!” Kiara chirped before hanging up. Ryan sighed. Just another day at KFP.

-

“So, what kind of China do you want?” Ryan asked through the phone as he walked through the store.

“I don’t know, just get China,” Kiara replied. “Ryan, I’m kind of busy at the moment.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave you to make out with Calliope-san,” Ryan said.

“How did you know?!/We’re not making out!” Kiara and Calli exclaimed at the same time.

“I’ll give you two lovebirds a few more minutes,” Ryan said before lowering his voice. “I’d like to live to tomorrow, thank you very much.”

“I heard that!” Calli shouted.

“Am I really on speaker?” Ryan deadpanned. His eyes drifted off to some random girl. When their eyes met, the girl jumped a little and scurried off.

 _Man, I knew I was ugly, but this is a whole new level of insult,_ Ryan thought to himself. The more he thought about it, the more the girl looked familiar. He couldn’t exactly place his finger _where_ he may have met her, but he has.

“You know what? I’m probably going to die tomorrow. I’d rather not help my chances,” Ryan grumbled hanging up the phone. Ryan grabbed the first set of China bowls he saw and went for the register. When he exited the store, he noticed the same girl staring at him.

“Can I help you with something?” Ryan asked, causing the girl the stiffen.

“No,” she replied. “You just reminded me of someone.”

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but the girl turned and stalked away. _Weird,_ he thought to himself. _I better get back to the KFP._

-

The craft of arriving at the KFP on time but after Kiara and Calli’s makeout session was an art form, and Ryan had gotten a hang of such an art form. “Am I dead?” He asked as he opened the doors.

“No, surprisingly,” Calli was sitting on a stool, sipping a glass of wine. “As much as I _want_ to kill you for those remarks you made earlier, Kusotori won’t let me.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryan smirked coyly as he walked around back to put the plates away.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said as Kiara walked out from the break room. “You ready for tomorrow?”

“You bet!” Kiara exclaimed, shooting her fist in the air. “Those assholes are going to pay for kidnapping me!”

“We killed all of the ones who kidnapped you,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Yeah, but might as well wipe them all out,” Kiara shot back.

“OHAYOLLIE!” The vague memory of Ryan’s meeting with Ollie flashed back to him as the zombie girl busted in.

“Ollie, did you really drag me out of bed to come _here_?” Anya dragged herself into the joint.

“Ah, Kureiji-san, Anya-san, welcome to KFP,” Ryan walked back over to the counter as the two girls took a seat next to Calli. “My name is Ryan Shade. What can I get you?”

“Ollie’ll have some ramen!” Ollie chirped. “Ramen Guy hasn’t been at the store often so I’m craving!”

“I’ll have some too,” Anya nodded. “Agent 85 always did make good Ramen.”

“Agent 85?” Ryan blurted.

“YAGOO,” Calli offered.

 _Huh, last I remembered, Anya called him YAGOO. That’s weird,_ Ryan thought to himself. He considered asking, but it really wasn’t any of his business. “What kind of ramen would you like?”

“Beef!” The two said in unison.

“Alright, I’ll be right back with your order.”

-

“Captain of the Houshou Pirates Houshou Marine has arrived!” Marine burst through the doors, a huge smile on her face.

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan said calmly as he placed the two bowls of beef ramen on the counter before turning to address the pirate. “What would you like?”

“Give me booze!” Marine plopped on the seat, slamming her closed fist on the counter.

“I’m going to have to see some ID,” Ryan replied.

“Uhhh…” Marine rubbed the back of her head.

“Don’t worry about it, she says she’s seventeen even though she’s really forty,” Kiara said through the back.

“Thanks Kiara-cha-, wait WHAT?!” Marine’s face contorted in rage as she slammed both fists on the counter. “I’M FOREVER SEVENTEEN!”

“Whatever you say, Houshou-san,” Ryan sighed. He went into the back and plucked a bottle of Dragonson Liquor. If Marine wanted booze, then Ryan would deliver. As he placed the bottle in front of her, the doors opened again.

“Konbanmusuru~!” Noel and Flare walked in, holding hands, friendship rings shining in the light.

“Shiranui-san, Shirogane-san, I see you’ve finally tied the knot,” Ryan smiled softly when he saw the rings. “Congratulations.”

“W-we’re not married!” Flare exclaimed. “These are friendship rings! Friend! Ship! Rings!”

“We can get married if you want~,” Noel said in what Ryan dubbed her “sexy voice” while offering her “friend” a wink.

“That sounds nice-, I mean not now!” Flare shouted.

“You didn’t deny anything,” Anya pointed out.

“But-,” Flare started, but sighed, finally admitting defeat. “Marine, want to take a table?”

“Sure!” Marine chirped as she grabbed the bottle of booze before skipping over to a table.

“Gyudon, I suppose?” Ryan asked.

“Gyudon!” Noel exclaimed, shooting a fist in the air.

“Today’s going to be a long day, huh?” Ryan muttered to himself.

-

“SHUBA SHUBA SHUBA!” As Ryan balanced fifteen bowls of gyudon onto Noel’s table, a duck with a hat walked in and pecked his lower leg.

“Good morning, Oozora-san,” Ryan smiled at the duck. “I can’t really understand bird, so I didn’t really get what you said.”

“SHUBA!” The duck quacked.

“I’ll just get Tenchou,” Ryan sighed as he went to the back.

“Hey Tenchou,” Ryan called over. “Oozora-san is here. Can you take her order please?”

“How do you-,” Kiara stopped herself. “Alright.”

As Ryan followed Kiara back into the main joint, Choco and Ayame were talking with the duck.

“Nakiri-san, Choco-sensei,” Ryan offered a small smile. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Ara, is that really you, Ryan?” Choco asked, putting a finger to her lips. “It’s been a while.”

“I apologize, but I don’t have my memories,” Ryan said.

“I heard,” Choco replied, giving Ryan a patient smile. “That’s okay, you’re still the Ryan I know.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan said as the doors slammed open again.

“I can’t believe you made us late, _Baqua_!” Shion yelled.

“And you didn’t, Kusogaki!” Aqua shouted back.

“Can we please not fight?” Ryan stepped in between the two women. “I already had enough of that yesterday.”

“What’s your deal?” Shion shot Ryan a glare.

“Don’t we have an important event to go to tomorrow?” Ryan asked. “It would be best to save the fighting for tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Shion pouted as the 5 friends took a seat at their own table.

Ryan sighed. Tomorrow was going to change his life as he knew it, so he might as well enjoy today.

-

“Today was fun, huh?” Kiara asked Ryan, who was wiping down the counter.

“Kureiji-san is never allowed to pull the sword out of her head in here again,” Ryan grumbled.

“You’re no fun,” Kiara pouted.

“Aw, how could you say that?” Amelia bust through the door with Gura in tow. “Ryan’s a _load_ of fun.”

“He gave me doughnuts!” Gura chirped.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Calli muttered, still sipping on her wine.

“You’re still here?” Ryan asked.

“Always has been,” Calli waved her hand dismissively.

“So, are you ready for tomorrow?” Amelia asked.

“I guess I’m ready as I’ll ever be,” Ryan replied with a shrug. “I mean, it’s not I haven’t done this before.”

“Fair enough,” Amelia sighed.

“So, how’s the marriage?” Ryan asked.

“It’s great!” Gura chirped. “Ame finally moved in with me and we get to do a lot of collab streams together!”

“Hey Ame,” Ryan leaned towards Amelia’s ear. “I’m going to tell Tenchou about the whole time travel thing after tomorrow. I feel like she deserves to know.”

“That’s fine,” Amelia replied. “It’ll probably be better if I was there.”

“That sounds good,” Ryan said. As he said that, the doors opened as Ina calmly walked into the joint.

“I guess everybody’s here,” Ina walked up to the small group.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll throw my two cents in,” Ina replied, throwing two American pennies onto the counter. “Just make sure no one dies.”

“We got this!” Gura exclaimed. “All of us are certified badasses! Yes, even you, Ryan.”

“I’m touched,” Ryan deadpanned.

“Alright, you all should rest up, so you’ll be ready for tomorrow,” Kiara said, clasping her hands together.

“Since when were _you_ the mother figure in this relationship?” Ryan asked.

“You’re so silly Ryan,” Kiara waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve _always_ been the mother hen.”

-

**Day 28: The Final Battle**

Ryan’s eyes shot open. Today was the day. He sat up, grabbing his phone and turning it on. The background was replaced by a picture of Ryan and Kiara which Suisei was happy to send. He closed his eyes and two sheathes appeared on his back, each holding a one-handed sword, one black and one white. He opened his eyes and went to his messages. Amelia sent him the location of where to meet. It seemed to be the same location where Gura and Amelia had their wedding. “Well, I wouldn’t want to be late,” Ryan stood up. “Time to go.”

-

Ryan stepped into HoloHQ to see a fairly big crowd of people, around fifty, all of them familiar faces. “Ryan!” Kiara called over. She was talking with Civia and Yogiri. Ryan walked over, offering a small smile to the three girls.

“Morning Tenchou, Yogiri-san, Civia-san,” Ryan gave a polite bow of his head as he greeted them.

“You got spunk showing up, kid!” Yogiri placed a fist on his chest, giving him a wide smile. “It means a lot that you did, though.”

“Thanks,” Ryan smiled back. “I won’t let you down.”

“Remember to be careful, though!” Civia said with a gentle yet assertive tone. “We wouldn’t want you to get hurt too badly!”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryan said.

“It’s nice to see you again, Ryan,” Ryan turned to see Aruran greeting him. “A surprise, but a pleasant one, no doubt.”

“Ah, it’s a pleasure, Aru-san,” Ryan shook his hand. “Stay safe out there, okay?”

“Ryan!” Ryan’s through process when a girl slammed through him. When Ryan recovered, he noticed that he has met the girl before. He met her the day before at the store where he bought the plate.

“Do I know you?” Ryan asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“You once did. I heard about your predicament,” the girl said. “My name is Brianna Edhas, it’s a pleasure to meet you again.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ryan shook her hand, offering her a kind, polite smile. “I apologize for not remembering anything.”

“Ryan!” Ryan and Brianna turned to see Brianna and Jack walking up to them. “I see you’ve met Brianna.”

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Jack took his mask from his trench coat. “We’re a part of the Masked Mages. We’ll be the forefront of the raid.”

“Really,” Ryan said. “I saw the MeTube video. Quite daring.”

“Shade was always one for dramatics,” Brianna sighed. “He wants to take out MILF in one fell swoop.”

“Is that possible? They’re so big,” Ryan noted.

“With you it will be,” Everyone turned to see Reporter and Storm walking up to the group, their masks on.

“R-,” Brianna was cut off by a hand from Reporter.

“Call me Reporter. The old me is long gone,” Reporter said.

“Both of you should be dead,” Brianna said.

“So should you, but here we are,” Reporter said. “It’s nice to see you again, Bri.”

“What are you doing here?” Ryan shot Storm a glare. “Weren’t you with MILF a while ago?”

“I never was,” Storm said. “I do what the void commands me to do. In this case, the void wills me to assist you.”

“Whatever,” Ryan scoffed.

“Can I have your attention please?” YAGOO’s voice was heard over the loudspeaker, catching everyone’s attention. YAGOO was standing on a podium with A-Chan and Shade standing on either side of him. “As you know, we are here to rescue our friends in China, but China will be heavily fortified. Today, our goal is to take out MILF in its entirety. If our sources are correct, the entire Foundation will be on China’s borders. We need to be ready. There is no one more qualified than the ones that are here in this room. We have all lost something or have been threatened by the existence of MILF. Today we will fight their oppression. For our love ones. For those who could not join us in this moment. We will fight for the right to be who we are. We will fight for our freedom!”

There was a loud cheer following YAGOO’s small speech. Ryan smiled. “Now, our friend Brianna here will be opening up a portal to the attack zone. Let’s go. And everyone,” YAGOO’s smile turned soft. “Please don’t die.”

-

Ryan stood behind Brianna as she held her arms in front of her, hands outstretched. She closed her eyes and a glowing light appeared from her hands. A portal grew in front of her. “Let’s go,” Brianna said as she walked in. On the other side, Ryan saw a flat terrain a few kilometers from the Great Wall. Even from there, Ryan could see the large amounts of soldiers and the huge guns placed on the Great Wall of China. Ryan saw tanks, helicopters, cars, jeeps, and plane in the distances and the thousands of dots that each represented a soldier.

“There’s only life fifty of us,” Ryan breathed. “Is it really possible to take all of _them_ on?”

“Don’t worry, we will be fine,” YAGOO put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and pointed to the sky next to him. “Look.”

As YAGOO said that, a gigantic mech fell from the sky. The mech had a duck’s face and was completely white. The blue eyes flared to life as it spread its legs and leaned back to shout. “SHUBAAAAA!!!”

Marine held a bottle in her hand and took out the cork, throwing the bottle as far as she could behind her. With a flash of light, the bottle grew into a gigantic floating galleon. “I’m finally a full-fledged pirate! Let’s pillage the _fuck_ out of these bastards!”

With a bright flash of light, Matsuri grew in size until she was matching the duck mech which Ryan dubbed “Shubagelion”. “I AM GOD!”

Coco grew in size until she was in her dragon form. She let out a ferocious roar, jets of fire jutting from her mouth.

“I guess there’s no time like the present,” Kanata floated in the air, her eyes closed, and arms outstretched. Her halo grew in size until it completely surrounded her as it floated to a vertical axis. When she opened her eyes, three sets of gigantic wings jutted from her back. “Let’s do this.”

Shion stood atop her broom as it floated up next to the Shubagelion. With a wave her wand, gigantic boulders rose up, forming two giant fists. Shion put her fists together, the giant fists mimicking her movements.

Pekora’s giant carrot started to glow and dissolve, being replaced with a giant mallet that was twice her size. “YOU’LL PAY FOR TAKING MY FRIENDS-PEKO!”

Pekomama stood next to Pekora with a scepter twirling between her fingers. “As the queen of Pekoland, I deem MILF too dangerous to continue. You have all chosen death.”

“HAACHAMACHAMAA~!!!” Haachama appeared through the portal riding a gigantic tarantula, jets of fire bursting from her hands spread out beside her.

“It’s time for bonk,” Ina grabbed her squishy bangs, pulling them. As she did, her tentacles grew to a gargantuan size. With a purple light, multiple giant crowbars appeared in the grasp of her tentacles. “You will pay.”

Aki rose up using one of her discs as the second one grew to thrice her size as it floated around her.

Mel sprouted bat wings and flew up next to Aki. “You ready?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Aki smiled at her friend.

Suisei raised her hand up, a giant golden axe forming itself in her grasp. She spun the battle axe with practiced ease before slamming the hint on the ground, a gust of wind forming around her.

“Lethal force authorized, switching to combat mode,” Roboco took off her glasses as a form of red lightning started to crackle around her.

“Finally! I get to let loose!” Fubuki’s hair turned dark. When she opened her eyes, they were blood red, signifying that Kurokami was in control. Black flames danced around her sword as she unsheathed it. “Let’s go, motherfuckers!”

“You ready, Koro-san?” Okayu asked, sharpening the knives on her claw-shaped gauntlets before putting them on.

“Yubi Yubi!” Korone dawned similar gauntlets. “All their Yubis will be mine!”

“As much as I would prefer to use a mace, I think it’s time to dance with my old partner once more,” Noel unsheathed a massive, golden two-handed sword. “Let’s go, Excalibur.”

“I won’t fall behind!” Flare clashed two gauntlets together, causing sparks to fly. The impact created a small blast of wind, causing her ponytail to fly in the wind.

Mio growled, a minotaur appearing behind her, cracking its knuckles in sync with Mio. “Let’s go, Hatotarus. Let’s show them what we’re made of.”

“Don’t leave me out of this!” A girl with disproportionate horns flew down, fire dancing from her fingertips.

“Aloe?! You’re alive?!” Nene exclaimed.

“Not really, but do you think some measly thing like death would get in the way of fighting with my family?” Aloe asked, a smile forming on her face. Nene, Polka, Lamy, and Botan smiled back. “I guess HoloFive is back in action.”

“I heard that!” Calli swung her scythe, another cloak flowing onto her back and a hood enveloping her face as she grew into size until she was 5 meters tall.

“Don’t mess with an Apex Predator!” Gura yelled, slamming her trident on the ground. A cyclone of water amassed itself with Gura at the center before the water formed itself into a gigantic shark.

“I love it when my wife wants to be a badass,” Amelia walked up next to Gura, holding her left hand out next to her. With a soft yellow glow, a rocket launcher twice her size appeared in her hand. “Ah, the Ground Pounder. How I’ve missed you.”

Jack sighed as his eyepatch was lit ablaze with green fire. When he opened his left eye, it was green opposed to his right eye, which was brown. When he put on his mask, the green light shined through his number. “Let’s just hope we don’t have to rely on that watch again. I’m still ashamed for creating such a monstrosity.”

“You ready, Ryan?” Sabrina waved her want and it grew into a baton. With her other hand, she put on her mask. “Last chance to back out.”

“Like hell,” Ryan said, unsheathing his swords before turning his attention to Storm.

“It would be an honor to serve you again,” Anya said to storm. “But I must join this fight as well. They have my friends. This is all I can offer you.”

With a soft glow, a kris floated slightly above her palm. “Thank you, Anya,” Storm took the blade, a dark energy emanating from it as he grabbed it. “It is a pleasure to fight with you again.”

“Alright!” Shade’s voice was heard, catching everyone’s attention. He was floating 4 meters above the ground facing everyone. “Today is the day. You all heard YAGOO’s speech. Let’s get our friends. Charge!”

-

“Yogiri is back in China!” Rosalyn exclaimed as her book started to glow.

“Really?!” Artia exclaimed. “Where is she?! Is she safe?! What is she doing?!”

“Spade, can you get a visual?” Doris asked.

“Sure!” Spade Echo closed her eyes and activated her magic. After a few seconds of silence, she gasped, opening her eyes.

“What did you see?!” Rosalyn asked, looking at her friend with worry.

“Yogiri got YAGOO,” Spade Echo replied. “They’re storming the country.”

-

Ryan enhanced his legs with magic and dashed towards the countless masses of MILF soldiers, swinging his swords. Time seemed to slow for him as he dodged bullets, slashed through soldiers like a warm knife through butter, and dashed through their ranks. Ryan knew he shouldn’t be distracted, but he couldn’t help but take in the sights.

“Poi!” Botan chirped as she threw a grenade in the air. Lamy used her magic to push it into the middle of a bunch of soldiers. Polka then threw Nene up in the air. As she did, Aloe caught her and Nene extended a finger towards the grenade, shooting a laser at it, causing a giant explosion of magic energy.

Purple flames flew from Towa’s hands as she flew through the ranks, literally burning people’s face off. She slammed the ground with both of her hands and several pillars of purple flames erupted throughout the battlefield, decimating tanks and aircrafts alike.

Rushia and Rushimama were surrounded by skulls which burned anyone it touched. As more people fell to the two necromancers, their souls took form as more skulls to take out more soldiers.

Roboco flew the battlefield, her feet replaced by rocket boosters. She shot lasers from her hands, causing several explosions to erupt from enemy ranks.

Coco and Kanata stood back-to-back, Kanata flapping her giant wings as she shot beams of light at tanks and soldiers as Coco stepped on anyone who dared approached, spewing fire at any aircraft that was foolish enough to get close enough to her.

As a MILF soldier pointed a gun at Ryan, he was suddenly beheaded. When the body fell, Ayame revealed herself. “Yo dayo!”

“Thanks for the save, Nakiri-san,” the two stood back-to-back before launching themselves in alternate directions.

Kurokami and Sabrina fought side by side, black and orange flames intertwining as they synergized their attacks with surprising effectiveness. Every so often, Fubuki would take over, the black flames turning white.

Choco flew through the battlefield shooting hot pink lasers at the MILF soldiers. Any soldier that was hit by the laser would immediately turn on each other and start attacking each other.

Okayu and Korone _shredded_ though their opponents, each being cut to ribbons as the mere contact of their claws.

Suisei spun her axe above her head, creating a tornado of blades that cut up anyone that was anywhere near her. She laughed maniacally as body parts rained down.

 _Glad I didn’t piss her off,_ Ryan thought to himself as the Shubagelion shot a giant laser from its mouth.

“SHUBA!” The Shubagelion ascended before flying off, a giant laser sword in its hand. It waved its sword, cutting a tank clean in half, causing it to explode.

“How are you doing, Ryan?” Amelia asked as she hopped over a few MILF soldiers, shooting them with pistols. When she landed, an assault rifle immediately found itself in her hand. She fired a few shots before she let go of it, causing it to disappear. She flipped over a MILF soldier, blasting him in the head with a shotgun in one hand. When she landed, she pointed a sub-machine gun at her enemies with her free hand, unloading on the crowd.

“I’m doing fine,” Ryan swing one of his swords, creating a black blade of energy which sliced its way through dozens of soldiers.

At that moment, Kiara blazed through with wings of fire, slicing any soldier she passed. “Hey, Tenchou,” Ryan said as Kiara landed next to him. They stood back-to-back.

“You’ve gotten strong, Ryan,” Kiara said, smiling. “Remember, you promised to tell me what’s up after this.”

“Assuming we survive,” Ryan said as he cut up another MILF soldier.

“We will,” Kiara said before diving off.

Ryan sighed. “Let’s get this over with, then.”

Gura’s giant shark dived, drowning any soldier in its wake. Gura then surfed on top of the shark, pulling up her hood. She then dived down, her face turning into a shark’s jaw, biting down on a MILF soldier. “Not as good as Ryan’s doughnuts,” she joked as the jaw receded.

“My wife is so badass,” Amelia sighed before grabbing her Ground Pounder and shooting it at the floor, sending her flying towards Gura.

Shion flew through the ranks, grabbing and throwing people with her giant fists as Aqua stood behind her, dousing her enemies with scalding water.

“Ha! That’s 50 for me!” Aqua shouted.

“Are you kidding me, Baqua?! That was _49_!” Shion shouted back.

Ryan then saw Shade casually wading through the ranks of MILF soldiers. Every time he waved his hand, there was a storm of electricity, a literal earthquake, a tornado, or something of that magnitude. Storm then dashed passed Ryan, kris in hand. Every time he moved his weapon, a trail of darkness flowed through it, creating a beautiful piece of art as he cleaved through his enemies with practiced ease.

“Ryan, watch out!” He heard Brianna’s voice. He turned, but it was too late. A tank shell landed in front of him, the explosion launching him back. He groaned as he hit the floor. As he stood up, he saw a giant laser cannon charging.

“Holy shit! Where did they get one of those?!” Ryan dashed out of the way, but when the laser fired, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to make it. Suddenly, he felt a sudden push on his back, let him safely sail past the laser. He turned as the laser subsided, leaving only a pile of ashes and a familiar, orange hat in its wake.

“Tenchou…” Ryan fell to his knees, realizing what happened. Kiara had pushed him out of the way, sacrificing herself in the process. The sounds dulled around him as he stared at the pile of ash, tears falling from his face. Slowly, his face contorted with rage. He stood up, his magic power rising as he faced the army. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t go far. As soon as he took a step, a shot was fired, hitting Ryan in the forehead. Ryan couldn’t even process what happened when his world went black.

-

**Day 28.5: Conflict**

“You’ve found yourself in a bit of a pickle, haven’t you?” Ryan’s eyes shot open when he heard a voice. What he found odd was that the voice was his somehow. Ryan stood up to confront an exact clone of himself. The only difference was that his clone’s eyes were purple instead of the average brown.

“Who the hell are you?” Ryan narrowed his eyes at the clone.

“I’m you. Well, you before you got your memories wiped,” the clone explained. “Call me Edhas. Ryan wasn’t never my real name anyways.”

“Whatever,” Ryan shrugged. “Though why are you here? Where is here? I should be out there. Fighting.”

“If you didn’t notice, you got shot in the head, again,” Edhas said. “That was an epic fail by the way.”

“Hey, how come you have my memories, and I don’t?” Ryan asked. “That’s not fair.”

“It’s quite simple,” Edhas replied. “You don’t want them.”

“Okay, enough of that,” Ryan sighed. “Why are you here? Let me go.”

“Well, ya kind of failed,” Edhas replied. “It’s my turn. I’m going to finished what I started.”

“What did you start?” Ryan asked.

“I’m going to destroy everything,” Edhas stared Ryan down. “I’m going to destroy everything for what they did to me.”

“By everything, do you mean MILF or _everything_?” Ryan asked. He knew he shouldn’t be wasting his time like this, but it wasn’t like he had anything to do, so he might as well learn about himself.

“Everything,” Edhas replied. “This world doesn’t deserve to exist.”

“Sorry, but I can’t let you do that,” Ryan tensed up. “I have friends back there, you know. I can’t just let you kill them all.”

“What are you going to do, fight me?” Edhas asked, keeping a casual position, his hands in his hoodie pockets.

“If I have to,” Ryan assumed a fighting position. Before he could even react, Edhas’s fist connected with Ryan’s face, sending him sprawling.

“Some fight you put up,” Edhas dusted his fist as Ryan struggled to stand. “It’s no use. I’m stronger than you in every way. You’ve been borrowing _my_ strength, _my_ magic this entire time. You’re nothing without me.”

“That may be true, but I can’t just let you go off and kill my friends,” Ryan assumed a fighting stance again. “Even if I lose, I have to stop you.”

“Jeez, you sound so cliché,” Edhas punched Ryan in the gut, backhanding him to the floor. “You should really try shutting up for once.”

“Heh, you’re right, but that just shows how much I’ve changed,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, but aren’t you mad?” Edhas kicked his stomach. “Didn’t you just lose your closest friend? Your manager? Don’t you just want to destroy everything?”

“I am mad,” Ryan grabbed Edhas’s foot. “I am angry, don’t get me wrong, but just because I’m mad doesn’t mean I can destroy everything. It’s not what she would’ve wanted me to do. Plus, I have other friends that are worth living for. I can’t just up and destroy everything less than a week after Gura-san and Ame got married. That’s just a dick move, you feel?”

“That sounds dumb,” Edhas said. “I lost everything dear to me. _Everything_. Just when things would start to look up, it would get yanked away. All this world does is take from me, so I feel like it’s high time that I take from it.”

“Man, are you sure about that?” Ryan asked, rolling over before getting up. “The looks Sabrina gives me speak otherwise. She looks at me like I was her ex or something.”

“Well…” Edhas’s voice faltered.

“Choco-sensei seems to care for you,” Ryan continued.

“She’s paid to care for me,” Edhas shot back.

“That Brianna girl seemed to miss you,” Ryan said. “I don’t know who she is, but you might.”

“Wait, Brianna’s alive?!” Edhas exclaimed.

“I don’t know the full details, but apparently she came back from the dead or something,” Ryan said. “Who is she?”

Edhas walked up and hammered Ryan on the head, though Ryan could detect that his strikes weren’t malicious. “She’s your sister, you dolt!”

“I have a sister?” Ryan asked, flabbergasted.

“Yeah,” Edhas groaned “I guess that there’s a change of plans.”

“Maybe we could show you that there are things that make life worth living,” Ryan smiled, offering his hand. “I mean, since you’re me, I guess we’re stuck together.”

“You really need to stop spewing all this cliché nonsense,” Edhas grumbled. There were a couple seconds of pause before he took Ryan’s hand. “But sometimes, I guess that you need some of it in your life.”

“Don’t worry, cliché bullshit is my specialty,” Ryan said as the area lit around them. After a few seconds, the light enveloped the void, consuming it completely.

-

Ryan’s eyes shot open. He stood up in the middle of the battlefield before turning to the pile of ash and Kiara’s hat. That’s right. She was still dead, but it was his job to make sure that no one else died as well.

As he prepared to dash, time seemed to stop around him. _My body feels so much lighter,_ he thought to himself as he dashed towards his enemies. When he did, he launched himself much farther than he planned to. He shrugged to himself, slashing his sword at a random goon. The sword created a giant slash of light, cutting through a large number of soldiers. _What the hell?_

 _“Stop thinking. Follow your instincts, dipshit,”_ Rang a voice in Ryan’s head.

 _Edhas?_ Ryan thought to himself.

_“No shit, Sherlock. Who did you think I was? The boogeyman?”_

_Why are you so aggressive?_ Ryan asked.

_“Shut up. Doesn’t matter. Just fight.”_

_Fine,_ Ryan sighed and let his instincts take over. He skidded to a halt, grabbing both his swords. He dashed through a long line of soldiers, slashing through them. When he skidded to a halt, the soldiers were reduced to confetti. He dashed around the battlefield, swinging his swords. Every time he swung his swords, a different element came forth to slash his enemies. He skidded to a halt next to Kiara’s ashes once more.

 _I’m doing this all based off instinct?_ Ryan thought, half asking himself and half asking Edhas.

 _“Of course,”_ Edhas replied in his said. _“I’m your instincts.”_

 _Having a split personality is a pain,_ Ryan thought to himself.

“Ryan! You’re alive!” Amelia ran to him. “We all saw you get shot in the head!”

“Yeah, that’s becoming a reoccurring theme for me, huh?” Ryan said. His body then moved on its own. One of his swords morphed into a pistol and shot a MILF soldier in the head.

 _“Watch your six, numbnuts,”_ Edhas grumbled in his head.

“Thanks for the save,” Ryan said, talking without thinking.

“I didn’t do anything..?” Amelia said, giving Ryan a confused looked.

“Sorry, I apparently have a slit personality now,” Ryan said, beheading another MILF soldier by throwing his sword like a boomerang. “Apparently my second half as a badass or something like that.”

_“Damn straight.”_

“Sure, I’ve seen worse,” Amelia said before turning to shoot a plane out of the sky with her Ground Pounder. “Just don’t die again, okay?”

“Wasn’t counting on it,” Ryan said as he dashed off.

-

“We’re almost there!” Artia called. Since evacuation orders were called across the nation, most of China was deserted, so the four stragglers could make their way to the battlefield. Artia thrust her hands down and a small cyclone pushed the four over the wall. They landed in the middle of the Great Wall of China, instantly springing into action.

Spade Echo used her magic to jam the giant turrets, causing them to explode before sending high frequencies into soldiers’ ears, causing them to collapse in pain.

Doris summoned her trident, impaling a soldier. Each point of the trident a dense, pressurized stream of water, stabbing anything in its path.

Pages flied off of Rosalyn’s book as she opened it, launching themselves at soldiers and turrets. The magically sharpened pages cut enemy soldiers like butter, lodging themselves in turrets, causing them to explode.

Artia expertly wielded a blade of wind, using hand motions to control the air around her. She turned to continue attacking when a cigarette landed between two soldiers. The cigarette caught fire and the fire spread to any MILF soldiers in proximity.

“Guys!” Yogiri landed next to Doris.

“Yogiri!” Rosalyn called, launching a page towards her. Yogiri raised a finger, a small flame dancing atop the finger and let the paper pass her, watching the piece of paper catch fire.

“It’s nice to be back!” Yogiri smirked as Civia jumped up the wall, landing by Yogiri, standing back-to-back.

“I agree,” Civia twirled a rapier in her hand before assuming a fighting position. “It’s so nice to see you all again.”

-

Kiara awoke in an endless void with nothing but an arrow pointing to a door. “I guess I died again, huh?”

“It seems that you did,” a man said. He was sitting down, leaning on the sign where the arrow was posted on. He wore a torn and tattered cloak, dirt and grime all over his body. He looked up, his ruby eyes meeting Kiara’s amethyst eyes. His eyes spoke of countless years of wisdom and pain.

“I don’t want to move on,” Kiara said. “I can’t leave this dimension the way I did. Ryan was going to tell me his secrets. We were going to recuse everyone. We were going to live happily ever after. I can’t leave them.”

“You’ve changed since I’ve seen you last,” the man said, rubbing his short, spiky hair. “Tell me, what caused you to mature so much?”

“There were stakes this time. I had someone I needed to care for,” Kiara replied. “I’ve spent millennia just fawning for Calli and doing my own thing, but Ryan… things were different. I had a proper friendship with him. Most dimensions, I like to keep my distance after what happened with the sand bird, but I liked the routine we had. Calling him every morning and bothering him. Watching him learn how to use his magic. Hell, even trying to piece together how much he knew was fun. I just… don’t want to go.”

“I see,” the man raised his hand and moved it to the opposite direction of the arrow and an onyx door revealed itself. “I’m proud of you, Takanashi Kiara. Go on. Return to your family.”

Kiara walked towards the door and opened it. Before she left, she turned to the man and smiled. “Thank you, sensei.”

-

Ryan stabbed his sword down on one of the many bodies piled below him, panting heavily. _You know, you’re not bad at this fighting thing,_ he thought to Edhas as he leaned on his sword for support. He looked around him. The battle was settling down. YAGOO and Shade made quick work of the gigantic laser cannon that killed Kiara.

 _“Yeah, too bad you suck ass at it,”_ Edhas said in his head.

 _Heh, I was never really a fighter anyways. I was more of a “sit on the couch and do nothing” kind of guy,_ Ryan made his way down the hill of bodies he made and made his way over to Kiara’s ashes. Amelia, Gura, Ina, and Calli were all standing by the pile of ashes looking solemn.

“She’ll come back, right?” Gura asked.

“No, every time Kiara dies, she goes to another dimension,” Calli replied.

“So she’s gone?” Amelia asked, sniffling.

“It seems so,” Ina didn’t even attempt to throw in a joke.

As Ryan approached, the ashes caught fire. Everyone stepped back as the flames rose in size. Eventually, flaming wings sprouted from the flames and a humanoid figure rose from the ashes. “KIKKERIKIII~!!!”

“You dolt!” Ryan didn’t even wait for the flames to subside to bonk Kiara on the head with his fist before pulling his manager into a bone-crushing hug. “I thought you died!”

“I guess I got lucky,” Kiara hugged Ryan back with one arm, using her free hand to rub the spot where Ryan hit her. She then looked at Calli, Gura, Ina, and Amelia, who looked flabbergasted. “What’s that look for?”

Amelia, Gura, and Ina dived in to join the hug while Calli stood there. After a couple seconds, she scoffed, walking over to the group and placing her arms around them.

“So, what happened?” Kiara asked after pulling away from the hug. “All I remember was pushing Ryan away from a giant laser and then boom! I was dead.”

“Well, Ryan got shot in the head,” Amelia said.

“Again,” Ryan grumbled. “Being shot in the head isn’t fun.”

“Again?” Kiara, Calli, and Ina asked in unison.

“Not important,” Ryan said. “I’ll explain later.”

“Well, out of nowhere, Ryan came back to life and started kicking absolute _ass_!” Gura cheered.

“Apparently he has a split personality or something now,” Amelia said.

 _“I’m not a split personality!”_ Edhas yelled in Ryan’s head. _“A shitter version of me is controlling my body, that’s all!”_

“My other half wants you all to know that I am amazing and _easily_ the superior out of the two,” Ryan said.

_“Fuck you!”_

_Sure buddy,_ Ryan thought.

“Now that this battle is over, care to explain yourself?” Kiara turned to Ryan, narrowing her eyes. In truth, she didn’t really care all too much, she just wanted to know the scalding hot tea.

“Well, the truth is, I…” Ryan trailed off when his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

“Ack!” Kiara yelped as Ryan hit the floor. Amelia knelt down to check his vitals. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Amelia looked up, giving Kiara a smug yet genuine smile. “He just needs rest and at this point, I’d think he deserves it.”

-

**Day 29: The Day After**

Kiara rolled around in her bed all night, unable to sleep. Despite the fact that she was alive again in the same dimension by some miracle. She was giddy that she got to stay in this dimension, but also anxious as well. She cupped her hands in front of her and a small flame flared to light. The flame grew for a couple seconds before subsiding to reveal a small box, orange and blue in color.

“Should I do it?” She tapped the top of the box with her finger, causing the box to open. The box contained a skull shaped ring with two rubies encrusted in the eye sockets and two bigger rubies encrusted on either side of the skull. She knew diamonds were traditional for weddings, but she felt that Calli would like the ring that she ordered rather than a standard diamond ring.

 _C’mon Kiara! You’ve been fawning over this chick for thousands of years! There’s no time like the present!_ Kiara closed the box, letting it dissolve into flames again before standing up. _Yep! Today is the day!_

-

Calli sat on her gaming chair, looking at the tiny, black box. She sighed, opening the box. The small box revealed a beautiful ring with little, orange wings and a golden outline. In between the wings was a diamond shaped diamond which was tinted cyan. Kiara’s brush with death made Calli think. Kiara’s dimension hopping was… complicated to say the least. There was always a chance for a Kiara to appear in any given timeline, but there’s a chance that it would be _her_ Kiara. Well, it’s never _her_ Kiara, but this time, a miracle happened. She didn’t know if someone pulled some strings, but no matter the reason, she was forever grateful.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Calli sighed. She didn’t know if something was going to happen, so she might as well do it now. She’s spent the last few thousand years struggling with her feelings for the stupid bird. Maybe it was finally time to admit that she loved her.

-

 _“Wake up, asshole!”_ Ryan groaned as consciousness hit him like a bullet to the head.

 _Damn,_ Ryan sat up, rubbing his head. _I wasn’t dreaming._

 _“Damn right it wasn’t a dream, now get up!”_ Edhas shouted in his head.

 _You know, I always thought that my other half would be the quiet badass type,_ Ryan opened his eyes, scanning his surroundings. He seemed to be in his room back in Japan. _How long was I out for?_

 _“A bit over fifteen hours,”_ Edhas replied. _“Those girls that were carrying you back were talking about meeting at a… KFP? Yeah, that’s what they called it. Sounds like a shitty ripoff of KFC.”_

 _I have no idea what you’re talking about,_ Ryan thought to himself as he forced himself up, resisting the urge to groan as his aches flared. _Do I have to go?_

 _“For all intensive purposes, you’re in a coma,”_ Edhas replied. _“If you want, I can make that a reality.”_

 _Can it,_ Ryan thought as he opened the door to his apartment.

-

“Hey Calli!” Kiara exclaimed as Calli walked into the KFP through her typical black mist. “You’re early!”

“Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, Kusotori,” Calli’s expression turned serious.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something too,” Kiara said, sweating bullets. What did Calli want to talk to her about? Was she in trouble? Did she have to go? No matter, as long as she got to propose, but she was scared. Maybe she could stall for time. “But you can go first. It’s not like I have anything important to say.”

“No, I think you should go first,” Calli replied. Calli resisted the urge to shuffle nervously. She didn’t want to admit her feelings. Not yet. Sure, Kiara flirted with her a lot, but did she really _love_ Calli?

“How about we to at the same time,” Kiara said. “On the count of three. One… two… three..!”

The two lovebirds pulled out their ring boxes at the same time. “Will you marry-,” they both stopped when they saw the boxes the other held. “What the hell?!”

Suddenly, the sound of a camera shutter caught Calli and Kiara’s attention. They turned to see Ryan pointing his phone camera at them. “Oh,” Ryan said, pocketing his phone. “I’m not here. Carry on.”

“You really want to marry me?!” Kiara turned back to Calli. Ryan was the least of her problems now. Sure, she was happy that he was safe and awake, but Calli just _proposed_.

“No shit, Kusotori!” Calli snapped, her face beet red. “Who else was I going to marry?!”

“Oh, I’m so happy!” Kiara tackled her now fiancée, pulling her into a kiss.

“Looks like I missed the action,” Amelia said, talking her place next to Ryan. “Nice to see you’re alright, Ryan.”

“Alright isn’t exactly what I’d use to describe my mental state,” Ryan deadpanned. “I was able to get a couple pictures if you want them.”

“Hell. Yes,” Amelia smirked evilly. “The more blackmail material, the better.”

“Don’t worry, Ina sent me some blackmail material for you and Gura,” Ryan mimicked Amelia’s evil smirk. “Speaking of which, where’s your better half?”

“OOCHA!” Gura dived through the doors, wrapping her arms around Amelia’s shoulders. “Right here, matey!”

“Matey?” Ryan echoed, confused.

“She’s been spending too much time with Senchou,” Amelia replied. Ryan heard Kiara calling Marine Senchou more than once, so he just used his context clues.

“I see,” Ryan nodded, when he did in fact, not see.

“Morning!” Ina walked into the KFP. “It’s nice to see you alive and well Ryan. You slept like the dead yesterday.”

“Very funny,” Ryan deadpanned, turning to her as to avoid the loud snogging that was going on behind him.

“What did I miss?” Ina asked.

“Calli and Tenchou are getting married, apparently,” Ryan replied. “About fucking time, too.”

“I guess that makes us the only loners in this group,” Ina gigged. “I mean, we were loners from the start.”

“I’m not complaining,” Ryan sighed. “I already have another half of me to deal with.”

“Speaking of which,” Kiara managed to detach herself from Calli’s lips. “You promised to tell me those juicy secrets yesterday, but you ended up passing out.”

“I guess a promise is a promise,” Ryan sighed, turning to Amelia. “You’re okay with this, right?”

“I mean they deserve to know,” Amelia replied.

“Alright, the truth is, Ame and I are from the future,” Ryan said. “Well, it’s not the future anymore. Technically, we travelled from yesterday to two weeks ago. In our original time, things weren’t _nearly_ as eventful as this time around. The MILF raid last week succeeded, and it turned into a non-issue and yesterday…”

“What happened yesterday in your time?” Kiara asked as Ryan trailed off.

“Ame, can you explain this one?” Ryan shuffled uncomfortably. “I was kind of…”

“Dead,” Amelia finished. “Ryan was shot in the head. A bunch of people came here to celebrate Ryan’s two weeks of employment when MILF raided, killing almost everyone. Honestly, I don’t know who survived and who died. I just used my clock and boom. I was in the past. Apparently, Ryan had his memories too. That’s why I was acting weird during the grand opening and why Ryan was the one to comfort me.”

“That…” Kiara paused, looking for the right words. There was a tense silence for what felt like hours.

 _“You sure this was the right idea, champ?”_ Edhas asked.

 _Now you decide to pop in?_ Ryan asked. _And what’s with the champ? Where’s your usual attitude?_

 _“Look, I’m really trying my best to understand your predicament right now. I’ve divulged secrets before and a lot of people didn’t really take it well,”_ Edhas said. _“I want to see what you stopped me from destroying everything”_

“Honestly, I don’t know what to say,” Kiara offered Ryan a soft smile. “But since you decided to come back, we must have been friends back then too, right?”

Ryan smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. “You’ve always been my best friend, both in the past life and this one.”

“Then come here,” Kiara spread her arms, inviting him into a hug. Ryan sniffled.

 _“You know, this crowd seems alright,”_ Edhas said.

 _Damn straight,_ Ryan thought as he hugged his boss before he could let the tears flow freely.

“Thank you Tenchou,” Ryan said, his face buried in her shoulder.

“No problem,” Kiara stroked Ryan’s hair comfortingly. “Anything for my little egg.”

“You know, I’ll let it slide, just this once,” Ryan said, causing everyone to laugh.

-

It took a couple minutes for Ryan to recover, but he eventually pulled away. “Sorry for stealing your fiancée like that,” Ryan joked.

“It’s fine, Kusotori is allowed to have friends,” Calli said. “Plus, I know you wouldn’t try to hook up with her.”

“You sure about that~?” Kiara leaned over and winked seductively, her hands behind her back.

“Positive,” Ryan deadpanned. As they were conversing, the door opened. Ryan turned to see all of the Masked Mages. Shade, Jack, Sabrina, Brianna, Reporter, and Storm walked into the restaurant.

 _“Damn, they look terrible,”_ Edhas said in Ryan’s head. _“I’ve always been against those stupid masks. They look dumb as shit.”_

 _You were a part of them?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Of course,”_ Ryan could _hear_ the smugness in Edhas’s tone. _“I was the strongest.”_

 _I have reason to believe otherwise,_ Ryan said.

“What’s up?” Ryan waved his hand. “Tenchou, are we open?”

“No…” Kiara said. “How did you guys get in here? I restricted the barrier this morning.”

“It was Storm,” All the Mask Mages including Ryan said in unison.

“What?” Storm asked innocently as everyone shot him a glare.

“We won’t be here for long,” Shade raised his hand sightly. “We just wanted to notify Ryan here that we’re all going to be leaving Japan for the time being.”

“You seem like a good drinking buddy, pal,” Jack walked up to Ryan and gave him a firm handshake. “Maybe I’ll stop by every now and then.”

“Sorry, Jack, I can’t drink on the job,” Ryan said.

“Sucks,” Jack sighed.

“You’ve changed since I last saw you,” Sabrina said. “I’m very proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Ryan smiled. “It truly does mean a lot, Sabrina.”

Sabrina then turned to Kiara. “I trust you to keep him out of trouble when I’m in America.”

“You bet!” Kiara put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“As much as I want to meet the new you, I need to reintegrate myself back into society now that I’m alive,” Brianna smiled. “I’m going to be going to college with Sabrina, but I’ll be sure to stop by every now and then to check up on you.”

“I would love to get the chance to meet you,” Ryan replied. “Honestly, I’ve always wanted a sister.”

Jack, Brianna and Sabrina jumped slightly at the realization that Ryan remembered who Sabrina said, but Reporter, Shade, and Storm looked like they already knew. “Say hi to aniki for me, eh Ryan?” Reporter put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“I know your situation is complicated, but it’s something you have to work out for yourself,” Storm said. “The void calls us back. We cannot help any more than we already have.”

“As much of an asshole as you are, I’m going to miss you, Storm,” Ryan smirked. Storm offered a curt nod in response.

“Before we go, Ryan, I would like to give you this,” Shade gave Ryan a mask. Ryan looked at it, tracing his fingers across the giant number 5. “You’ll always have a place with us.”

 _“Let me take control for a second,”_ Edhas said in his head. _“I want to say something.”_

 _How do I do that?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Just let me deal with this,”_ Edhas said. Suddenly, Ryan lost control of his body. He tried to move, but his limbs wouldn’t budge. He was fearful, but he had no point but to trust his other half.

“Thanks, but Edhas these masks are fucking stupid!” Ryan heard his own voice said. He saw a couple of them stiffen before vanishing, leaving only Shade, who turned around to face him.

“It’s good to have you back,” he said before vanishing with the rest of them. As he did, Ryan lurched forward, suddenly gaining control of his body again.

“Are you okay?” Kiara asked, looking at him with worried.

“Yeah, I’m just getting used to my… situation,” Ryan gave Kiara a kind smile.

 _“I’m not a situation, asshole!”_ Edhas snapped. Ryan sighed. This was going to get some taking used to.

-

“Hey, Kusotori,” Kiara yelped when Calli was already in her apartment when she opened the door.

“Calli! What a pleasant surprise!” Kiara smiled. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No thank you,” Calli walked over, pulling Kiara into a hug. “I just want you.”

“W-what?!” Kiara’s face flushed a deep red as Calli tightened her embrace. “C-Calli?!”

“I’ve spent all this time putting my work over my feelings. I’ve always tried to keep people at an arm’s length, so I didn’t falter in my work. When you died yesterday, I realized how dumb off me it was,” Calli pulled away, holding Kiara’s face in her hands, her lips softly curling upwards. “I know I’m not too good all of this, but I’ll try my best. I hope you’ll have me.”

“Have you?” Kiara grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss, resting her other arm on Calli’s shoulder. “Let me take you right now.”

“Take me?” Calli tilted her head in confusion. “Like on a date? Where do you want to go? I have tomorrow off, so I was just thinking of chilling with some wine.”

“What-?” Kiara was taken aback by Calli’s response as she wanted to do something very bottom left with her fiancée, but sometimes the Shinigami was too pure for her own good. She sighed, offering Calli a smile. “Nevermind. I would love to do that.”

-

**Day ???: Till Death Do Us Part**

“Are you sure you don’t want to get married?” Ina asked Ryan over the phone. “I mean we’re the last two.”

“I’ll pass,” Ryan chuckled a bit. He and Ina had gotten closer since Calli proposed to Kiara, having something in common, despite how strange said thing was. “You headed there now?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you there,” Ina said, hanging up the phone. Ryan fixed his tie. He was happy he wasn’t the best man this time because he felt like there was too much pressure on him. Kiara played around with the idea but decided against it. (AN: Ryan may or may not have had a say in that decision.)

“I’m glad to see you’re alive,” Ryan turned to see Suisei smiling at him. “You’re a good man, Ryan Shade. I’ve figured that much out.”

“How far we’ve gone,” Ryan shrugged, smiling and shaking his head. “It’s nice that I don’t have to look over my shoulder every five minutes.”

“That is a plus,” Suisei giggled. “Honestly, I appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

“No,” Ryan held his hands up. “You guys have done more for me than I can ever repay you for.”

Suisei tilted her head, confused. “You really _are_ an interesting one, Ryan Shade.”

“I’ve heard,” Ryan said. “Want to walk with me?”

“Why not?” Suisei smiled kindly as she hopped over to his side.

 _“Watch out, jackass. She’s dangerous,”_ Edhas said in his head. Ryan and Edhas started to pave the way towards a good partnership, but they weren’t past petty name calling and arguing.

 _I figured,_ Ryan resisted the urge to chuckle to himself.

-

Ryan walked in, taking a seat next to Ina. Since Gura and Amelia were chosen as bridesmaids, Ryan wasn’t able to meet up with them. “About time you show up,” Ina threw Ryan a playful smile. “I was starting to get lonely.”

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled. He noticed that Suisei wasn’t anywhere to seen. He sighed. She probably went off to stalk someone. To Ryan’s surprise, Suisei showed up with Miko to sing during the processional. Seriously, what’s with his friends and getting idols to sing at their weddings? Ryan noticed neither of the brides were on the stage as well. The first pair to show up was Amelia and Gura, wearing yellow and blue dresses respectively, followed by Korone and Okayu, wearing brown and purple dresses, followed by Kanata and Coco, wearing white and orange dresses, then Botan and Lamy walked down, wearing gray and light blue dresses. It came to no surprise when Kiara picked Pekora as her bridesmaid, but he was a bit bewildered when he saw Rushia walk down next to her. Pekomama was the one to bring the flowers while Rushimama brought the rings. Suddenly, the song changed.

 _“It’s called Shiny Smily Story,”_ Kiara’s voice rang in his head. He’s heard the song once before when he heard Kiara sing the song while doing the dishes. _“I love to sing this song. It makes me smile every time I do. No matter how bad things get, singing this song always makes me feel better.”_

Ryan forced his tears back. _Damn, why am I getting emotional now?_

 _“It’s okay to be emotional, dumbass. This is an emotional event,”_ Edhas said.

 _I rue the day when you give me emotional advice,_ Ryan thought to himself, rolling his eyes. That’s when it happened. Kiara and Calli walked down the aisle together, their dresses tinted purple and orange respectively. As they stepped up the aisle, they looked at each other, smiling.

This time, YAGOO stepped up as the officiant. “We have gathered here for a union between life and death today. The first to happen since the dawn of time. Today we get to see love that transcends blood and tradition. Today, we witness true love.”

Honestly, Ryan spaced out throughout the readings. Pekora talked about all the fun times they had when they first met, Coco talked about how she teased Calli and Kiara for a few hundred years and how happy she is that they’re finally tying the knot, and Gura talked about when Kiara and Calli were back when she as a “baby shark”.

After the readings YAGOO turned to the couple. “Normally, I wouldn’t ask this, but note that you two are immortal, making this contract much more impactful.”

“I know,” Kiara gave YAGOO a patient smile. “I’m willing to be with Calli until the end of time.”

“Until death do us part,” Calli smiled.

“Alright,” YAGOO nodded. “Onwards to the vows.”

“Calli,” Kiara closed her eyes, bring her hands to the center of her chest. “I remember when I first met you millions of years ago. This is something that I rarely admit to myself, but I’ve loved you ever since I laid eyes on you. Just everything about you. The way you swung your scythe, the way you pouted and crossed your arms, the way you smiled. Ever since I met you, I tried to find every excuse I could to meet you. I remember it got to the point where Sensei would train me in the underworld so I wouldn’t go running off every other day. Even when you scolded me and said mean things, I knew you cared for me. Over the centuries, I started to see the real you, and I only fell in love with you more. I don’t think I’ve loved anything or anyone more. I know that however long I live, no matter what timeline or dimension I travel to or wherever I wind up, I will always find my way back to you.”

“Kusotori,” Calli said. “I know I was never good with feelings, but I am happy to finally express them now. When I saw you, I thought you as nothing but another one of those living beings. I never knew why Death-sensei made me interact with living beings, but after spending time with you, I finally learned. When I did, I hated it. I hated the way I felt and the way you made me feel. Only after hundreds of thousands of years did I realize that I was scared. I was scared that something would happen to you if you continued to hang with Death’s Apprentice. I was scared that after a while, you’d get sick of me and leave. I was scared of getting attached. Now, I know that I don’t have to be scared anymore. I know that we’ll be together forever. Now I finally understand why Death-sensei wanted me to meet you. He wanted me to learn what it was like to love, and I am proud to say that I’ve learned.”

With a hand gesture, Rushimama walked up with the rings. “With these rings, I wed you, Takanashi Kiara and Calliope Mori,” YAGOO said, slipping a ring on each of their left ring fingers. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Flashbacks of the first time Ryan caught Kiara and Calli snogging made themselves present as Kiara rushed up to her wife (AN: It’s feels so good to finally write that), pulling her into a kiss.

 _“Man, your like was lowkey kinda fucked before you got your magic,”_ Edhas said.

 _As opposed to how normal my life is now?_ Ryan thought back.

 _“Fair point,”_ Edhas sighed.

-

“Congratulations on your marriage,” Ryan said, walking up to the newlyweds. “It was only a matter of time, of course.”

“Thanks~!” Kiara pulled Calli into a kiss, as if to flaunt her relationship.

“Guh! Do you have to do that every time someone congratulates us?” Calli asked.

“I can’t help it~,” Kiara winked at her wife. “I just want to express how much I love you~”

“I love you too, Kusotori,” Calli rolled her eyes before pecking Kiara on the cheek. Who squealed with so much excitement, her hair caught fire.

“Does this happen often?” Ryan asked.

“Well, it started happening a lot yesterday,” Calli replied.

 _“Heads up, you got someone watching you,”_ Edhas said.

“Give me a second,” Ryan turned around and saw a man looking at him, a sad smile on his face. His dirty blond hair was combed to the side to reveal his crimson eyes. The more Ryan looked into the man’s eyes, the more he could see different emotions flashing through the man’s eyes. Pride, Happiness, Sentimentality, Nostalgia, and was that Envy? The man gave Ryan a thumbs up before his body slowly crumbled to sand, tumbling away in a little cyclone.

 _Who was that?_ Ryan asked.

 _“I think I’ve seen him before,”_ Edhas said. _“The legendary sand bird was a huge help during the fight against the god of earth.”_

 _Hold up,_ Ryan almost held his hands up. _Did you say_ god _?_

 _“Told you my life was interesting,”_ Edhas said.

 _You never said that,_ Ryan thought back.

 _“Bah, technicalities,”_ Edhas said.

 _Let me enjoy the damn wedding,_ Ryan grumbled in his head before walking off.

-

 _“Did you enjoy yourself, dipshit?”_ Edhas asked. _“You know, that Enma figure is a woman after my own heart.”_

 _I know you did,_ Ryan sighed. He was picking out people at the recession, fighting Ryan for control to fight them because “they seemed strong”. _And yes, you seem just about as muscle-headed as Enma-san._

 _“Maybe you should hook up with her,”_ Edhas suggested.

 _I will fight you,_ Ryan grumbled.

 _“Remember what happened last time?”_ Edhas shot back.

 _“Fair point,”_ Ryan sighed. Suddenly, a black fire burst up in front of him, revealing a man looking down at Ryan. He was easily over six feet tall, towering over Ryan. His eyes burned with a crimson Ryan had only seen in the blood of his enemies. He wore a black cloak that was torn and tattered and carried a scythe that was rusted in multiple areas.

“Do you need something?” Ryan asked, more curious than aggressive. Calli taught him that not all strangers with scythes could be bad, so he might as well give the man the benefit of the doubt.

The man took a step, his gaze boring into Ryan. Ryan started to feel intimidated, even with Edhas and all the badass magic powers he gained in the past few days. The man put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “You’ve done well,” he said, his voice gruff but gentle. “Keep them safe.”

Before Ryan could open his mouth, the man disappeared in a flash of black flames. “What the hell?”

 _“Heh, I never thought I would see the old coot again,”_ Edhas chuckled.

 _Who the hell was he? Why the fuck we he so scary?_ Ryan asked.

 _“That’s a story for another day,”_ Edhas said.

_Whatever, wiseass._

_“Dipshit.”_

-

Ryan woke up the next morning, fully refreshed, which was something that hasn’t happened in a long time. _How’d you sleep, Edhas?_ Ryan asked.

 _“I don’t sleep,”_ Edhas replied gruffly.

 _“What do you do then?”_ Ryan asked.

 _“I haunt your dreams and peek at women,”_ Edhas quipped.

 _You disgust me,_ Ryan was going to shoot another insult, but the phone rang. Ryan smiled as he answered the phone.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara’s voice exploded through the phone.

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said, his smile growing by the second.

 _“How do you deal with this every day?”_ Edhas asked.

 _Shut up,_ Ryan waved Edhas off.

“Did you really think that just because I got married yesterday you would get a day off?!” Kiara shouted.

“No, actually,” Ryan said, holding his hand over his mouth. “I was rather excited to go to work today.”

“Wait, really?” Kiara’s voice dropped several notches.

“I know you, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled. “I’ll be there in five.”

-

 _“Why does this walk have to be so long? You know can teleport, right?”_ Edhas complained.

 _You know, I thought about that,_ Ryan thought to himself as he stepped into the clearing, revealing the KFP in all its glory. Metal plates were still haphazardly slapped onto random parts of the joint from when Coco visited and the KFP sign was on fire (AN: Don’t ask). _But I get to see this every day._

 _“Why would you want to see this horrid sight every day?”_ Edhas asked. _“This shit looks terrible. Discount KFC, I’m telling you.”_

 _It’s not much,_ Ryan said, opening the doors.

“Morning Ryan!” Kiara popped up from underneath the counter. “I heard you enjoyed coming to work! I guess that means more overtime for you!”

_But it’s home._

**-The End-**


	2. KFP: Double Back

**Day 1: Status Quo**

_“Wake up, asshole!”_ Edhas’s voice rang in Ryan’s head, jolting him awake. Ryan sat up, not caring to open his eyes. He moved the blankets aside as he yawned, covering his mouth with one arm.

 _Do you always have to do that?_ Ryan telepathically asked his other half, straining to open his eyes. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before standing up, cracking his back.

 _“No but waking you up two minutes before your ‘alarm’ never ceases to bring me joy,”_ Edhas replied. Ryan could almost _see_ the finger quotes his alternate personality was projecting with his words. As Ryan cracked his back, the phone on his nightstand started to ring loudly, transmitting the sound of an alarm rather than that of a normal ringtone. _“See?”_

“Yeah, I see,” Ryan grumbled as he picked up the phone. Ryan was an 18-year-old man who recently started a job at a local KFP, or Kiara Fried Phoenix. KFP was your normal fast-food chain, but what Ryan got wrapped up in was the furthest thing you could get from normal. For starters, the only other person who works there is the CEO herself, Takanashi Kiara, who also happened to be a phoenix herself, hence the name. People like Calliope Mori, who was death’s apprentice, Gawr Gura, a magical shark who was thousands of years old, Amelia Watson, a time travelling detective with an itchy trigger finger, and Nanomae Ina’nis, the literal vessel for the old ones were the kind of people who would frequent the place. Ever since then, he’s be stalked, tracked, threatened, investigated, shot at with bullets and lasers, actually getting shot in the head _twice_ , and obtaining an alternate personality based off memories that were forcibly repressed. Saying that Ryan had a rough month would be the understatement of the millennia.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara’s signature call echoed through the speakers as Ryan answered the call. Kiara always had this thing where she’d call Ryan every morning at the crack of dawn to get him to come to work. Kiara had never been one for schedules, honestly, but Ryan was willing to deal with it.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said through the phone, a fond smile growing on his face.

“Hey, Ryan!” Kiara said through the phone excitedly. “Are you ready to come to work today?”

“Of course I’m ready,” Ryan said. “I’ll see you in five.”

Ryan hung up the phone and sighed. With the snap of his fingers, his clothes instantly changed from a T-shirt and boxers to a black hoodie and black sweats.

 _“Seriously Ryan, why can’t we just teleport over there?”_ Edhas complained.

 _Can it, numbnuts,_ Ryan snapped at his other half. _You’re not the one walking so stop your bitching._

 _“But walking is so boring,”_ Edhas whined, dragging on the last word like a toddler. _“Why walk when you could use badass magic?”_

 _Because you need to take time to appreciate the smaller things in life,_ Ryan explained patiently.

 _“There you go again, spewing some cliché bullshit,”_ Edhas groaned. If Ryan could see him, he would have sworn that Edhas was rolling his eyes.

 _I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again,_ Ryan closed the door behind him. _Cliché bullshit is my specialty._

-

 _“Why does this alley have to be so long?”_ Edhas complained.

 _You know damn well about the barrier here,_ Ryan signed. _You need to stop complaining. You do this every day._

 _“Yeah, but things have been so_ boring _since the whole fiasco in China,”_ Edhas whined. _“I want to kick some ass.”_

 _How about this, if Enma shows up, I’ll let you fight her,_ Ryan said, remembering the hot-headed manager. _Just don’t mess with my body too much._

 _“You have_ my _body, remember?”_ Edhas replied. _“Nothing will get through this body.”_

 _Except bullets,_ Ryan deadpanned, causing Edhas to gasp in disgust.

 _“Hey, I wasn’t there when you got shot so that’s your problem,”_ Edhas said cheekily, casually glossing over the fact that a bullet to the head was the catalyst for Edhas to appear in the first place. _“Hey, we’re here.”_

Ryan looked up and the corners of his mouth rose instantly. The KFP looked like a normal fast-food restaurant with an orange and white color palate with streaks of blue and yellow. “Honestly, I miss the tungsten plating,” Ryan chuckled to himself, remembering the first time Kiryu Coco, a giant purple dragon decided to stop by.

 _“Armored plating is for pussies,”_ Edhas said. _“Just don’t get hit. It’s not that hard.”_

 _I’m sorry that a building doesn’t have the same fighting prowess as an_ esteemed warrior _like you,_ Ryan grumbled, rolling his eyes. He walked up to the doors and pushed the two glass doors open.

“KIKKERIKI~!!!” Kiara dashed from the back room, one leg bent behind her knee and her hand raised high in a cutsie kind of expression. Kiara had her other hand close to her chest, showing off her wedding ring, which she got not too long ago when she married Calliope Mori, otherwise known as Death’s Apprentice. The ring was beautiful, made of 24 karat gold with topaz encrusted wings, a cyan tinted diamond in the center. Kiara was an attractive woman. Ryan wasn’t blind. She wore her beret and chef’s hat over her fiery hair. She wore a special KFP uniform which she tailored into a skirt. Kiara opened her shining, amethyst eyes, her heart-melting smile only widening when she saw her employee. She held two gadgets, one on the chest area of her shirt and the other one on her belt, which Ryan found the hard way that they were a sword and shield that generated concentrated plasma. The weapons alone were enough to scare most men off, but the scary part of Kiara was her better half.

Speaking of which, Calli walked out of the break room, fixating her crimson eyes on Ryan. Calli’s long, pink hair was neatly flowed down her back. She wore a black dress with a torn, black cloak draping down her back. The thing that deterred most people was the gigantic scythe that easily exceeded two meters in length. “Oh, hey Ryan,” she said casually before walking over to Kiara. Calli openly flaunted her new wedding ring, a platinum skull with two rubies for eyes, a square engraved on either side of the skull.

“So, you’re just going to let Calliope-san into the break room now?” Ryan put his hands over his chest, faking a hurt expression. “I’m hurt.”

“I think we’ve known each other long enough for you to call me Calli,” Calli said, offering Ryan a small smile.

“What?! No fair!” Kiara pouted. “It took me 300,000 years to get that far with you!”

“So, what were you doing in the break room~?” Ryan waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“You just lost the right to call me Calli,” Calli glared daggers into Ryan.

“She doesn’t mean it,” Kiara strutted up to Calli and got on her tippy toes, pecking her wife on the cheek.

“Guess not,” Calli stared into her wife’s eyes lovingly. As the leaned in to kiss each other, Ryan cleared his throat.

“Get a room,” Ryan sighed. “Just not the one where I prefer to enjoy eating my Oreos in.”

“Whatever,” Calli grumbled. With a snap of his fingers, Ryan was in his KFP uniform. Ryan now wore brown shoes, blue jeans, and a white shirt covered by an orange vest.

“Oh! Your new nametag came in!” Kiara dug into her pocket (AN: The closest thing Kiara would get to getting out of the abyss left stage was to order a dress with pockets) and pulled out a name tag, showing it to Ryan. It was a golden nametag that said “RYAN SHADE” in black letters. What was different was that there a second row that said “& EDHAS” on it.

“Thanks,” Ryan smiled, putting the nametag on the right side of his chest.

 _“Why did you have to add that?”_ Edhas complained. _“Aren’t we supposed to be discreet with shit like this?”_

 _What’s wrong?_ Ryan asked. _Scared of meeting a bunch of_ girls _?_

 _“I can’t believe you’d stoop that low,”_ Edhas said, genuine disappointment in his tone. _“We both know that ninety percent of the girls that walk in this joint are scarier than you.”_

 _That’s not fair,_ Ryan said. _You’ve_ seen _what Hoshimachi-san is like._

 _“Fair enough,”_ Edhas said. A crash through the door interrupted his internal monologue.

“OOCHA!” A small girl in a shark hoodie kicked the doors, jumping in before landing, both arms extending upwards in a victory pose.

“Good morning, Gura-san,” Ryan said. Gura’s white bangs covered her forehead, partially covering her ocean blue eyes. Her shark hoodie was obviously at least two sizes larger than her. Her hoodie was originally smaller, but ever since she married Amelia Watson, the time-travelling detective started spoiling her with bigger hoodies and extra doughnuts. Gura waddled over to the one of the seats, jumping up to sit down on one of the stools on the counter. “Where’s your better half?”

“Ground pounding your mom,” Amelia said, walking into the restaurant.

 _“Heads up, you don’t have a mom,”_ Edhas said.

 _Then who was the one yelling at me over the phone when I was a NEET?_ Ryan asked.

_“Beats me. I wasn’t there.”_

“Edhas says I don’t have a mom,” Ryan reported.

“That’s a travesty!” Amelia gasped.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “Just shut up and sit down.”

“Whatever you say,” Amelia chuckled as she walked over to sit down. Amelia wore a white dress shirt and a red tie, expertly using a sandy trench coat that was at least four sizes too big to hide her boing boings. She wore a detective’s hat, poorly concealing her messy, blonde hair. Ryan’s eyes drifted over to the watch she wore around her neck. If that watch didn’t exist, Ryan would be dead, but he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment for the gadget. Amelia’s watch gives her the ability to travel through time. For some reason, he was able to keep his memories when she goes back in time. Unfortunately, he had to learn the hard way, after he was… well… shot in the head. People seemed to like to do that a lot.

“So, how have you been?” Ryan asked. “It’s been a while since you two stopped by.”

“Things could be better,” Amelia sighed, a teacup appearing in her hands out of thin air. “There’s no one to ground pound.”

“Hey!” Gura protested. “You can always ground pound me!”

“Oh, my sweet little apex predator,” Amelia picked up Gura, plopping the small shark on her lap, patting her head. “It feels wrong to ground pound someone as cute and innocent as you.”

“Humph,” Gura pouted, placing her fists on her knees while giving a sideways glance, puffing out her cheeks. “I’ll forgive you… just this once…”

“Hey Ryan!” Ryan’s face paled when the hot-headed manager Enma busted through the doors. Enma wore a wrinkled dress shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned. She had a hoodie tied to her waist and her katana sheathed safely at her side. “When are you going to stop pussying out of that fight?!”

“I’m sorry!” Ina ran in the restaurant, panting heavily. “I tried to stop her.”

“It’s fine, Ina,” Ryan sighed. Ina wore her hair/tentacle hybrid (in which Ryan really wanted to squish her bangs but refrained considering what happened last time) neatly down her back. She wore a sleeveless, purple dress. Luckily, she didn’t have her gigantic tentacles out or she would have destroyed the door completely. “My other half has been raring for a fight, recently.”

“Your other half?” Enma asked, curious. As of now, Kiara, Calli, Amelia, Gura, and Ina knew about Edhas, but Ryan didn’t really care if it was a secret or not. Right now, they were in a time of peace since the Magical International Liberation Foundation (MILF for short. Yes, I know.) was destroyed, so he didn’t really have any reason to hide it.

“You’ll find out soon,” Ryan smirked.

“Well, let’s go!” Enma unsheathed his sword. With a gust of wind, Ryan was behind Enma. He turned his head slightly, revealing that his eyes now glowed a purple shade.

“Let’s take this outside. Ryan would kill me if I destroyed the restaurant,” ‘Ryan’ chuckled. “Not that he can, of course.”

-

“So, your name is ‘Edhas’, huh?” Enma had a feral smile on her face as she drew her katana. “I hope you’ll entertain me.”

“Likewise, Enma-dono,” Edhas said, holding out his right hand. With a soft hue, a sword willed itself into existence in Ryan’s hand. The sword was pure white, the sun reflecting on the metal. Intricate sapphire vines were weaved throughout the blade, sprouting from the circular gem at the bottom of the hilt.

 _“Why don’t I get that kind of respect?”_ Ryan asked, as he was now the telepathic voice in Edhas’s head. How the tables have turned.

 _You’re not a warrior,_ Edhas and Enma stared at each other, examining each other’s posture, looking for flaws and trying to predict their opponent’s moves before they even started fighting. _This woman is._

 _“Whatever,” Ryan groaned. “Have fun with the muscle-headed wife of your dreams. Speaking of which, I know_ just _the person to introduce you to, considering your sister complex.”_

 _Okay, shut up, I have to focus,_ Edhas thought. Enma noticed that he lowered his guard ever so slightly when he conversed with the person in his head and took the opportunity to strike. Enma dashed for Edhas, her arms crossed. Edhas wondered if Enma was used to wielding two swords, but that was a thought he could ponder on later. He dashed to the right, creating a small, invisible platform out of magic after a few inches and kicked on it, launching him behind her. He created another platform, kicking it to launch him towards his opponent. Enma reacted just in time, spinning around to barely catch the blade aimed at her neck with her own.

“Not bad,” Enma’s feral grin only grew.

“You’re not bad yourself,” Edhas smirked, though it was a lot more casual than Enma’s predatory smile. The two then clashed blades, slowly increasing in speed until the blades weren’t visible to the naked eye. Edhas’s smirk widened as he went for a feint technique he created, creating five after images of a blade each slashing in different directions to throw off the enemy. Surprisingly, Enma successfully clashed with the correct sword.

“Is that all you have?!” Enma shouted, her blood boiling. Edhas could _feel_ the excitement radiating off of her as they continued to fight.

 _Fuck this,_ Edhas channeled a small amount of magic energy into his blade and arms, intending to end the fight. Enma obviously noticed this and matched his mana output. When their blades clashed, the force of the collision was enough to send them both back flying.

“How about we finish this?” Enma skidded to a halt a few meters away from the clash zone. She assumed a fighting stance, a trail of red flames flowing from her blade.

“It would be my honor,” Edhas twirled his blade, white fire following the blade before he assumed a battle stance of his own. The two let out a battle cry charging. The impending clash caused an explosion of dust and debris to fly all over the place.

“You know, you two shouldn’t be exerting so much magic at a place like this,” When the dust settled, A-Chan was revealed to be holding both of the blades with her bare hands. Enma was obviously straining, but Edhas didn’t seem to have any difficulties as he pried his blade from the general manager. “You might attract someone.”

“A-Chan!” Enma stumbled back as A-Chan let go of her blade. “I-I wasn’t keeping track of my mana output! I’m sorry!”

“Boo, you’re such a party pooper,” Edhas jeered, his sword vanishing in a white light as he let go of it. “It’s nice to see you haven’t changed, A-Chan.”

“As much as I would like to say the same, you are still far too reckless, Edhas,” A-Chan adjusted her glasses, shooting Ryan a glare before turning to Enma. “Enma-san, we’re leaving.”

“Y-yes, A-Chan!” Enma scurried to follow A-Chan as she turned and left via the alleyway.

 _A-Chan might be calm and collected, but she’s_ really _scary when she’s angry,_ Edhas said as he relinquished his control, the purple glow fading from his eyes.

 _I’ll keep that in mind,_ Ryan tried to shake off the sores on his body to no avail before turning to the massive crater in the middle of the lot.

“I’m going to have to deal with this now, aren’t I?”

-

Fortunately, Ryan only had to use some earth magic to fix everything. He opened the door to his apartment, flopping on the bed. _What do you want to do today, Edhas?_

 _“Hey, Ryan,”_ Edhas’s voice sounded uncharacteristically serious. _“Are you sure you’re content with this life? With the strength and skills at your disposal, you can do anything you want, say for taking over the world.”_

 _You know, I’ve thought about it,_ Ryan said to his other half, a small smile on his face as he put his hand up, staring at the ceiling. _It really isn’t about the pay or the fame. With the people I’m with, I don’t need all of that. I have my friends, and that’s all I need._

-

**Day 32: Taking Flight**

In the HoloHQ, a portal opened. A woman stepped through, a small smile on her face. She tossed her silver hair behind her shoulder as the portal closed behind her. She fastened her winged hairpin and fastened her bracelets. “As much as I enjoyed my trip back, my true family resides here,” Her high heels clacked along the floor as she walked towards the door, opening it. “I’m home.”

-

Thankfully, Edhas had the sense to wait two minutes for Kiara to Call. The alarm rang, causing Ryan to bolt up. He looked around wildly before fixating on the phone. He grabbed the phone, answering it without looking.

“KIKKERIKII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed through the phone. “How has my little egg been~?”

“We’ve been over this,” Ryan grumbled, getting out of bed. “ _Please_ stop calling me that.”

“Never!” Kiara chirped, giggling. “I think it’s endearing.”

 _“I think it’s cute,”_ Edhas added helpfully.

 _Can it, asshole. You’re one to talk,_ Ryan gave his other half a snappy remark, but he only offered his boss a defeated sigh.

 _“Am I sensing a bias?”_ Edhas exclaimed, faux offense coating his words.

 _Yes, so can it,_ Ryan grumbled.

“Are you listening to me?” Kiara asked, catching Ryan off guard. He was still getting used to listening to people while having telepathic conversations with Edhas.

“Sorry, I spaced out,” Ryan said, pushing back his habit to sigh. “What were you saying?”

“Oh, nothing!” Kiara said excitedly. “I was just excited to start work today!”

“Me too, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled. “I’ll see you soon.”

-

 _“So, who are we fighting today? I had a lot of fun yesterday,”_ Edhas said, causing a tick mark to appear on Ryan’s head.

 _We’re not fighting anyone,_ Ryan’s sigh was full of irritation as he turned the corner.

“Excuse me?” Ryan turned around to see a woman standing behind him. She wore a blue and white sleeveless dress with wing shaped patterns at the end of it. Though she had a curious and innocent look on her face, she seemed to assume royalty.

 _“Be careful with this one,”_ Edhas’s voice warned. _“Even though she’s hiding her magical aura, I can tell she can be a potential threat.”_

“Yes?” Ryan asked, sending Edhas a mental sign that he’ll be cautious. “Is there something you need?”

“I apologize for bothering you,” the woman gave a polite bow. “I was told to meet up at a KFP in this location, but I can’t seem to find it. Would you happen to know where it is?”

 _If she wants to go to the KFP, she must know Tenchou,_ Ryan thought. _Plus, if she has malicious intent, she wouldn’t get past the barrier anyways._

“Ah, I actually happened to be heading there myself,” Ryan said. “My name is Ryan Shade. I work at that KFP. Would you like to walk with me?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the woman bowed her head politely. “My name is Pavolia Reine and I would love to walk with you.”

-

Ryan had to will the tick from appearing from his forehead as Reine appeared to be taller than him with his heels. Being only 172 centimeters, Ryan wasn’t the tallest guy in the world, but for some reason, Reine being taller than him just unsettled him.

 _“You know, I wonder what it would feel like for her to look down on me,”_ Edhas said in a weird (Read: Pervy) manner.

 _You disgust me,_ Ryan thought, rolling his eyes.

 _“Hey, someone’s got to appeal to the masses,”_ Edhas said defensively.

 _What masses?_ Ryan thought curiously.

 _“You wouldn’t get it,”_ Edhas grumbled.

“So, who are you?” Reine stopped, causing to stop and look at her. Ryan shuddered, but kept his ground.

 _“That’s some intense killer intent,”_ Edhas said. _“Her aura’s rising. Any human mage would be heaving on the floor pissing their pants. You might want to switch out.”_

 _I’ll take your word for it,_ Ryan though, his eyes glowing purple.

“Okay, lady, I don’t know who you are, but there are kinder ways to ask people questions,” Edhas tensed up. Ryan was grateful he didn’t summon any weapons yet. Maybe there was a chance to resolve this peacefully.

“Last time checked, you weren’t a part of Hololive or any of our allies,” Reine’s eyes narrowed. “Plus, you lead me to an alleyway. Do you think I’m stupid?”

“I didn’t design this place. Cut me some slack,” Edhas sighed, offering the woman a shrug. “Honestly, my other half doesn’t want to fight. As much as I would enjoy fighting someone as powerful as you, I really have to get Ryan to work.”

“Wait!” Kiara’s voice was heard as she flew down between Ryan and Reine. “He’s my employee!”

“See, I wasn’t lying,” Ryan said as the purple glow faded, giving him back control of his body.

 _“Tch,”_ Edhas scoffed. _“Would’ve wiped the floor with her anyways. Wouldn’t mind if she kicked the crap out of me, though.”_

 _You’re using my body, you know,_ Ryan grumbled in his head.

“I’m apologize for my actions,” Reine bowed respectfully to Kiara and Ryan. “I can never be too safe in these times.”

“Actually, we’re in a time of peace now,” Kiara replied, a patient smile on her face. “All thanks to Ryan, I may add.”

“Really?” Reine looked at Ryan.

“Don’t look at me,” Ryan put his hands up. “All I did was get shot in the head… twice…”

“Anyways, we should get going,” Kiara smiled. “We can catch up when we’re in the restaurant.”

-

“It’s been so long!” As soon as they entered the joint, Kiara tackled Reine into a hug. “I’d never thought I’d see you again!”

“It’s nice to see you too, Kiara-senpai,” Reine smiled softly, returning the hug. “After spending a few months back at the Peafowl, I realized that I found my real home here.”

“I’m so happy,” Kiara pulled away, tearing up.

“By the way, where did you get the ring? It’s beautiful!” Reine grabbed Kiara’s hand, admiring her wedding ring.

“Calli gave it to me!” Kiara chirped, her cheeks flushing slightly. “We got married not too long ago!”

“Married?!” Reine gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “I’m so happy for you! You should have sent me an invite!”

“I’m sorry! There wasn’t any way to get in contact with you!” Kiara said.

“Anyways, you still have to introduce me to your employee,” Reine looked at Ryan, the skepticism still lingering in her eyes.

 _“You know, I love it when she looks at us like that,”_ Edhas swooned.

 _The joke is getting old,_ Ryan thought.

“This is Ryan Shade,” Kiara said. “I met him not too long ago. He actually didn’t get his magic until it took a laser to the shoulder for me.”

“Don’t remind me,” Ryan grumbled.

 _“You were such a pussy back then,”_ Edhas chuckled. _“I mean your ass kicked by some normies.”_

 _I didn’t have magic at all. Cut me some slack,_ Ryan grumbled in his head. Edhas only scoffed.

“I’m surprised,” Reine’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at Ryan again. “For you to cultivate your magic in such a short time. From what I gauged, you’re stronger than the top generals at Peafowl.”

 _“Peafowl? I remember that place!”_ Edhas said. _“They have great blacksmiths there, despite all of them being birds. “I liked the place so much I made the royal family a weapon. That was a long time ago, though.”_

 _How old are you, exactly?_ Ryan asked.

 _“I was born 18 years ago, but remember, I was in the same group as the guy who made Ame’s clock,”_ Edhas said. Ryan remembered Jack’s parting words. At this rate, he might have to take up his offer for a drink.

 _So you’re older than 18,_ Ryan stated.

 _“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?”_ Edhas commented followed by the sound of fingers snapping.

 _Go die,_ Ryan grumbled. Edhas said something, but Ryan didn’t care enough to listen.

“That’s thanks to my other half,” Ryan said. “I’m a bit of a special case.”

“Kiara-chan!, I’m here like you a-,” Subaru crashed through the doors, exclaiming loudly but cut herself off when she saw Reine. She jumped up in the air, pointing at her. “OMAEEEEEEEE!”

“Hello, Subaru-senpai,” Reine spread her arms. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too!” Subaru tackled Reine into a hug. “The birb three are finally back together!”

“So, I heard we’re in a time of peace now,” Reine said. “Can someone tell me what happened?”

“Well, I guess we’re going to go over my perpetual story of embarrassment,” Ryan grumbled.

“Come on!” Kiara slapped Ryan’s back. “It’s not that bad!”

-

“Being shot in the head isn’t something you should be embarrassed about,” Reine offered Ryan a soft smile. “Most people wouldn’t have even shown up to the battlefield.”

“I know, I just could have handled the situation a bit better,” Ryan sighed, placing a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes in front of Reine.

“I know the same thing would have happened to me in that situation,” Subaru said, munching on a sesame seed muffin. “Except the coming back to life part.”

“Yeah, I’m not too sure how that happened actually,” Ryan said. “According to Edhas, he’s ‘just too stubborn to die’, but I’m not sure about the authenticity of his claims.”

 _“Shut up,”_ Edhas snapped.

“How was everything back at Peafowl?” Kiara asked.

“It was good, but my departure caused… some problems?” Reine looked down at the untouched plate of turkey.

“What happened?” Subaru asked, giving her friend a worried look.

“My father and I got into an argument,” Reine said. “When I wanted to leave, he protested vehemently. he wanted me to rule and told me how I felt didn’t matter. After a long argument, my father forced me to return the family treasure and banished me from the kingdom, claiming he’ll just ‘make another heir’.”

 _“How far Peafowl has fallen,”_ Edhas scoffed. _“I expected better from such a nice kingdom.”_

 _Remember when you were the bad guy?_ Ryan asked. _What happened to that?_

 _“Just because I hate everything in this world doesn’t mean I don’t know right from wrong,”_ Edhas said. _“And for the record, a_ lot _of things in this world are wrong.”_

“That’s terrible,” Kiara placed a hand on Reine’s, who’s hands were on the table.

“It’s fine… I don’t regret my choice,” Reine sighed. “But Hiraitamon* was my partner. I don’t know what I’ll do without it…”

 _“Hiraitamon? What a coincidence,”_ Edhas sighed.

_Don’t tell me…_

_“Yup.”_

_Seriously, you_ need _to tell me who the hell you were,_ Ryan sighed aloud.

 _“Someday,”_ If Edhas was there, Ryan swore he would have winked at him. _“You know what? How about we pay Peafowl a visit? The weather is nice, and I’d like a vacation. Might as well do a favor for a cute girl while I’m at it.”_

 _You’re hopeless,_ Ryan thought, disappointment oozing through is brain.

“You alright?” Kiara turned to Ryan. “You’ve been awfully quiet this entire time.”

“It seems like my other half wants to go to Peafowl,” Ryan said. “Says he wants to ‘go on a short vacation’ or some bullshit like that.”

“I apologize, but that’s impossible,” Reine shook her head. “Though I appreciate the sentiment, only one person in the world is currently capable of transporting through dimensions so freely.”

“And who would that be?” Ryan asked.

“YAGOO,” Reine answered simply.

“Well, we can always ask him,” Ryan shot back.

 _“No need,”_ Edhas said in his mind. _“Interdimensional travel is one of my specialties.”_

“My other half claims he can travel through dimensions,” Ryan said.

“Are you sure? Interdimensional travel is a dangerous and meticulous form of magic,” Reine narrowed her eyes slightly. “One mishap and you’ll be tumbling in the void for all of eternity.”

 _“Let me take control,”_ Edhas said. _“It’s easier for me to just explain it. Plus, I have to go and whip that old man’s ass anyways.”_

 _Fine, but only because I don’t like Reine’s dad. He seems like a prick,_ Ryan thought as his eyes started to glow purple. Reine and Subaru tensed up slightly, but Edhas put a hand up.

“Relax, my eyes just change whenever I switch,” he said. “But yet, I can travel through dimensions. Plus, if we end up in the void, I have some connections that could get us out.”

“Connections?” Kiara asked.

“That’s not important,” Storm stepped around the counted and held his hand forward. With a swift burst of energy, a swirling portal appeared. “The real question is: who wants to tag along?”

-

Edhas, Subaru, Kiara, and Reine walked through the portal, revealing themselves to be at the foot of a giant castle that was blue and white in color. Between them was a large gate and two guards wearing shiny blue armor, white wings jutting out of their backs. When the two guards saw Reine, they jumped into a fighting stance, spears pointed at her.

“I apologize for this, Reine-sama, but the king has ordered us to attack you on sight,” One of the guards said, his voice uncertain.

 _“What a prick,”_ Ryan said.

“Actually, I’m the one who brought her here,” Edhas held his hand out and a small, grey badge appeared in his hand. He then held his hand out, showing them the badge. “I do hope I have the credentials to see the king.”

Both of the guards visibly gasped when they saw the badge. “O-of course, esteemed guest! If you brought Reine-sama here with you, then it must have been for a good reason,” the other guard said. “Let me open the gates for you.”

As the guards ran over to open the gates, Reine gave Edhas a look. “What was that?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Edhas winked at Reine. “For now, let’s go.”

-

“Your highness! May I point out how ridiculous you are being?!” Gachoma exclaimed.

“Yeah! Just because she had dreams of her own doesn’t mean she deserves to be banished!” Hino protested.

“Reine-sama has always been kind to us,” Gachoma clutched her broom so tight her knuckles turned white. “She didn’t do anything to deserve this!”

(AN: Gachoma, Hino, and Mentori are characters from my “A Fortunate Mistake” fic.)

“Silence!” The king, Pavolia Peafowl VII shouted. “Even if you are the two magic division generals, I will not tolerate your insolence! Reine was a failure and nothing else! Her role was to rule the kingdom and she failed to do so!”

As Mentori opened her mouth to disagree, the doors slammed open. “Your highness!” Matthew, one of the gate guards rushed to the king, bowing before his presence.

“You _dare_ interrupt me?!” Peafowl shouted. “What is so important that you must barge into _my_ throne room?!”

“My apologies, your majesty!” Matthew bowed his head. “The princess has returned with a grandmaster blacksmith!”

The room fell silent at once. A grandmaster blacksmith hasn’t shown up in Peafowl since the Dai Go No Kamen* 300 years ago. “Well?” Peafowl demanded. “Bring him in!”

-

“The king will see you now,” the guard said, leading them to the throne room. Edhas noted that there were three other people there. One of them looked exactly like Kiara if she decided to wear a blue navy uniform and another looked exactly like Subaru. The third was a brown-haired maid clutching on a broom.

Subaru and the clone looked at each other before pointing at each other with an exaggerated face. “OMAEEEEE/KONOOOOO!” They shouted at each other. “You look just like me!”

The Kiara clone walked up to Kiara. “Are you a phoenix?!”

Kiara gasped. “I thought I was the last one!”

“Reine-sama!” The maid cast aside her broom, tackling Reine in a hug. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Gachoma! Hino! Mentori! Control yourselves!” The king shouted before lowering his voice, so it was projected, but not shouting. “Greetings to all of you. My name is Pavolia Peafowl VII. May I ask who this supposed grandmaster is?”

“That would be me,” Edhas stepped up and stared at the king.

“Ryan!” Reine whispered sharply. “You’re supposed to bow to him.”

“My name’s Edhas,” Edhas shot Reine a look before staring back at the king. “I will not bow to you, for you haven’t earned my respect.”

“You-,” The king’s face turned red, but he stopped himself. “State your purpose of visiting.”

“I want my rapier back,” Edhas stated simply. All heads turned to Edhas. What kind of rapier constituted Edhas to talk to the king of a kingdom in an alternate dimension?

“I apologize,” Peafowl shook his head. “I don’t follow.”

“Hiraitamon,” Edhas replied. “I want it back.”

“You want our family heirloom?!” Peafowl slammed the armrest of his throne, positively fuming. “Who the hell do you think you are to walk into _my_ kingdom and _my_ castle, demanding _my_ family heirloom?!”

“It’s not yours, considering you married in,” Edhas commented, directing his focus to the king’s brown hair and eyes. The silver hair and blue eyes of the Pavolia family was a dominant trait and the tradition was that Hiraitamon went to that of the Pavolia gene. “It _should_ belong to Reine-chan here, but _someone_ decided to break tradition.”

“Even if that were the case, I am the king! You are a nobody!” Peafowl exclaimed. “Guards!”

Edhas sighed. “You know, I really didn’t want to take this out, but whatever.” Edhas held out his hand and the mask that Shade gave to Ryan appeared in his hand. He put it on, his hand obstructing the number. When he revealed it, everyone, say for Kiara, Subaru, and Edhas himself gasped in shock. “I’ve always hated this mask, but if I have to use it, then I have to use it. Do you recognize me now?”

“Y-you’re the Dai Go No Kamen!” Peafowl exclaimed. The Dai Go No Kamen was a legendary blacksmith and swordsman among the kingdom of Peafowl. 300 years ago, he fought in the War of the Vultures against the Vulture Kingdom alongside King Peafowl I. After they won the war, the Dai Go No Kamen along with the Dai San No Kamen* forged a legendary sword named Hiraitamon and gifted it to the king before vanishing off the face of the earth (AN: Yes, I will cover this story in the prequel). “But that’s impossible! He vanished 300 years ago! He’s dead!”

“Who said I was dead?” Edhas said, growing irritated. “Now, do I need to leave this kingdom without a ruler, or are you going to be getting me my blade?”

The king blanched. “Y-yes! I will get your blade immediately!” He ran off to a door to the right of Edhas.

“Y-you’re the Dai Go No Kamen?” Reine looked at Edhas, who took off the mask, releasing it to go back into his magical storage. “I grew up on stories about you.”

“Me too!” The Subaru clone piped up. “I’ve always wanted to become an awesome warrior like you!”

“I guess you could say that I am, but I honestly hate that title,” Edhas sighed. “I have nothing to do with the masked mages anymore. I am my own person now. Well… half a person.”

The king ran up to Edhas with a rapier with a golden hilt and a blue sheathe. “Here you are, Dai Go No Kamen-sama…”

Edhas grabbed the blade and examined it. “Its quality has deteriorated since, but I can’t blame you. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

“Wait!” Edhas was about to turn but was stopped by the maid. “I want to go with you.”

“Mentori?!” Reine looked at the maid in surprise.

“I’ve served under you since you were born, Reine-sama,” The maid, Mentori smiled at the princess. “You have been the kindest member of the royal family I know, except for maybe your mother. I want to continue serving you wherever you go.”

“I want to go too!” The Kiara clone piped up. “Life isn’t really complete with just me and Gachoma over here. We three need to stick together.”

“Hino is right,” Gachoma said. “Life just isn’t as fun without you, Reine-chan! If we’re able to go, then there’s no place I’d rather be!”

Reine turned to Edhas. “Are they allowed to come with us?”

Edhas smiled, the purple glow in his eyes fading, signifying that Ryan has taken over once more. “That’s up to them, but we should get going,” he said. “I don’t want to be late for work tomorrow.”

-

Omake: Portals

“Thank you again for doing this, Brianna,” YAGOO said as Brianna opened the portal where Reine would cross only minutes later. “I could never get the hang of portals as much as you could.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brianna smiled, looking to the portal. “Edhas used to tell me about Peafowl. I heard it was a nice place.”

“Shade would say the same things,” YAGOO said. “If Reine is anything to go by, then Peafowl must be a fun place to be.”

“Maybe you could go once you pull the reigns on your… entertainment company,” Brianna giggled, offering the middle-aged man a wink.

“Don’t remind me,” YAGOO said with a depressed look on his face. “Let’s go.”

With that, the two exited the room, closing the door.

-

**Day 3: Silver and Gold**

“Thank you for coming!” Amatsuki Uto’s English was rapidly improving thanks to her livestreams. Work at heaven was nice, but boring. Livestreaming was one of her few hobbies, considering that she didn’t have that much free time. She smiled as she turned off the stream. “Ah, that was fun!”

As she stood up to crack her back, her phone rang. It was odd, considering that people in Heaven barely called people on the phone, as they preferred to fly over there and meet people in person. She curiously picked up her phone, her smile only growing as she saw who was calling her.

“Ame-tan!” Uto answered the call, answering happily. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good!” Amelia exclaimed through the phone. “How are things in Heaven?”

“Things have really started to look up since Mamatsuri gave me this job,” Uto said. She was falling on hard times before Mamatsuri came along. She saw Uto’s potential and hired her as a model to advertise things like pillows and plushies. Mamatsuri never made Uto do something she didn’t want to do and all of the things she advertised were adorable, so it was a no-brainer for Uto to take.

“Do you have anything lined up for tomorrow?” Amelia asked.

“No, why?” Uto asked, putting a finger on her chin and tilting her head.

“Oh, nothing,” Amelia giggled. “I just wanted to have some sister-on-sister bonding time.”

-

 _“Fuck!”_ Ryan was jolted awake when Edhas screamed in his head, obviously sounding distressed.

 _What happened?!_ Ryan’s eyes darted around his room wildly, his adrenaline pumping.

 _“Sorry. I didn’t know it was possible for me to still have nightmares and flashbacks,”_ Edhas said. _“Someone opened a gate from Heaven not too far from here. I have rather… bad experiences with the place.”_

 _Should I be worried?_ Ryan asked, standing up.

 _“Not really. All the angels should be back to normal by now,”_ Edhas said.

 _What do you mean by ‘back to normal’?”_ Ryan asked.

 _“I’ll tell you later,”_ Edhas said. Ryan sighed. Edhas was obviously uncomfortable, and even though Edhas could be annoying sometimes, Ryan didn’t hate him enough to push further.

 _Alright, but I’m here if you need to talk. I’ll even introduce you to a couple ladies,_ Ryan joked in hopes of cheering his alternate personality up.

 _“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that sometime,”_ Edhas chuckled. Ryan wasn’’t sure whether or not he was referring about the talking or the ladies. He’d better gain favors from some of his previous customers, though Ryan wasn’t responsible if Edhas gets smacked upside the head.

As Ryan put on his hoodie, the phone rang. “KIKKIRIKIII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed through the phone. “I placed a special order, so I’m going to be a little late. Can you open up for me?”

“I don’t have a key,” Ryan reminded her.

“Just use magic or something. I don’t really care,” Kiara said. “I have to go now. I’ll see you in a few.”

-

Ryan sighed as he appeared inside the KFP. _“About time you actually teleported here,”_ Edhas said.

 _But what if an angel decided to show up on my walk there?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Depends on the angel,”_ Edhas said. _“I’d either run or kill them.”_

 _Jeez, what is your thing with angels?_ Ryan asked.

-

“Man, I really thought we would be here,” Amelia sighed.

“Who are you talking about?” Uto asked, her little wings flapping up and down.

“You remember the best man at my wedding?” Amelia asked. “I wanted to meet up with him on his way here.”

“He seemed interesting,” Uto gave Amelia a smile. “I would love to talk to him more.”

“He doesn’t seem to be here,” Amelia sighed in defeat. “Let’s go to the restaurant.”

-

 _“You’re thinking of… 9?”_ Edhas asked.

 _Stop reading my mind, damn it!_ Ryan snapped, sighing. He had opened up already and changed and was just waiting for something to happen.

“Where were you?” Ryan looked up as Amelia opened the door, followed by her stepsister. Ryan vaguely remembered Amatsuki Uto as the flower girl of Amelia’s wedding. “We were waiting for you to walk down the alley way so we can meet you.”

 _Told you!_ Ryan exclaimed in victory.

“Sorry, I had to open up today. Tenchou had something important to do or something,” Ryan said. “It’s nice to see you again, Amatsuki-san.”

“Please, call me Uto,” Uto’s smile warmed the cold winter restaurant. “You’ve done so much for Ame-tan. Thank you.”

 _“You know, this one’s alright,”_ Edhas said.

 _Are you seriously perving on one of my best friend’s sister?_ Ryan asked.

 _“No, even I wouldn’t perv on such a pure being,”_ Edhas said matter-of-factly.

“Ame has been such a good friend to me,” Ryan smiled. “I don’t need thanks. She would have done the same for me.”

“I don’t know,” Ame said. “Getting shot in the head twice _might_ not be possible for me to do.”

“You got shot?!” Uto gasped, her expression contorting into one of genuine worry. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, the first time that happened, time was reversed and the second time, I got a second personality who healed me,” Ryan said.

“Alternate personality?” Uto put a finger on her chin and tilted her head sideways.

 _Want to meet her?_ Ryan asked.

 _“That might not be the best idea,”_ Edhas said.

“He’s kinda shy, I guess,” Ryan replied.

“That’s okay! If he ever wants to talk, I’m here!” Uto smiled brightly at Ryan.

 _-100 critical hit!_ Ryan heard the sounds of stumbling in his head.

 _“I’ll be fine,”_ Edhas groaned as if he fell over on something.

 _You’ll get used to it,_ Ryan said.

“So how have things been?” Ryan asked.

“Things have been good,” Amelia smiled at Ryan. “Gura said she wanted to visit her friend today, so I decided to have a little bit of a family reunion.”

“I see,” Ryan offered a smile of his own. “So, how are you liking Earth, Uto-san?”

“It’s nice,” Uto said. “I really like these video game things you have.”

“They are fun,” Ryan admitted.

“KIKKERIKIII~” Kiara burst through the doors carrying a box. “I’m here!”

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said, his smile growing. “What did you get?”

“Ah, Mamatsuri told me Uto-chan was coming today, so I decided to get some cloud puffs!” Kiara held up the bag she was holding, a triumphant expression on her face.

“Kiara-san, you didn’t have to!” Uto exclaimed. “You could have told me to get some!”

“It’s fine!” Kiara chirped, walking around to her the counter, placing the bag on the counter. “I had some business in heaven, so I decided to get some on the way out.”

“So, you went all the way to heaven to get these?” Ryan asked.

“Essentially,” Kiara said She took out a tray that was full of what looked like small, circular clouds.

“Oh, I love these!” Amelia took a cloud and took a bite, relishing the taste.

“Cloud Puffs are my favorite dessert in Heaven,” Uto took her own cloud, taking a bite of it.

“You should try it, Ryan!” Kiara offered Ryan a cloud puff.

“Thank you,” Ryan smiled. Not wanting to be disrespectful, he took a bite. The cloud puff was easily the sweetest thing Ryan ever tasted. Imagine cotton candy, but ten times sweeter while being a pastry instead of just sug

ared air. The texture was light and fluffy like cotton candy, but still full of substance like a cake.

“Is there a way to replicate these these?” Ryan asked, causing everyone to start laugh.

“Unfortunately not, which is why buying these was such a big deal,” Kiara said.

“Damn, might as well enjoy this while it last,” Ryan said, taking another bite.

“I sense you have magic now,” Uto said. “Though I sense… something else as well.”

“That’s probably my other half,” Ryan replied. “For some reason, we have different magic proficiencies and mana pools. He’s much stronger than me.”

“That’s amazing. I could barely sense his power,” Uto smiled. “You’re really talented, Ryan.”

“T-thanks,” Ryan directed his eyes off of the angel, his cheeks tinting red in embarrassment.

“You’re welcome,” Uto said, covering a giggle with her hand.

 _-999 hp! Super effective!_ It took all of Ryan’s willpower not to humiliate himself by passing out from the cuteness overload.

 _You okay, buddy?_ Ryan asked.

 _“You’ll have… to go on… without me…”_ Edhas managed.

_You still hate angels?_

_“I can make an exception,”_ Edhas sighed.

 _Do you want to talk to her now?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Fine, give me control,”_ Edhas grumbled. Ryan closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was a purple hue glowing in his eyes. When his eyes focused on Uto, she flinched.

“I see you recognize me,” Edhas sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Man, this is awkward.”

“What’s going on?” Amelia asked.

“I imagine Jack kept you hidden when this happened, but there was a war between the Masked Mages and Heaven,” Edhas explained. (AN: Will definitely be covered in the prequel)

“Yeah…” Uto looked down. “Look… I-,”

Edhas held up his hand, cutting off the angel. “Look, that’s all in the past. The fact that you’re willing to apologize for something you couldn’t control means you’re already better than the arrogant assholes that were in charge back then.”

“Thank you,” Uto heaved a sigh.

“You know, these cloud puffs are something else,” Edhas said, desperately trying to change the subject. Unfortunately, the environment continued to stay tense.

 _I knew this was a bad idea,_ Edhas shot at Ryan.

_“Fine, you win.”_

-

 _“Hey Ryan, can I borrow your body for a sec?”_ Edhas asked. _“There’s something I need to do.”_

 _Sure, what’s up?_ Ryan said.

 _“Nothing dangerous, I promise,”_ Edhas replied, his tone somber. _“I just need to visit someone.”_

_-_

Edhas sighed as he crossed a portal into an unknown location in America. He looked at the setting sun before turning to a grave with an onyx knife placed before it. “I guess Calli beat me to it, huh?” He sat down by the grave.

_Rest in Peace_

_Stoj Grimm_

_XXXX-201X_

_Brother, mentor, friend, protector_

_“Death is never the end.”_

_“Why is the birth year crossed out?”_ Ryan asked.

 _Because that’s when he was born,_ Edhas answered cryptically. Ryan let out a mental groan.

“Hey Stoj,” Edhas smiled sadly, looking at the grave. “Sorry I’m late. I made a couple mistakes and got held up. Just ran into an angel today, can you believe that? I can’t believe we’re in a time of peace. I remember how much you used to bitch about work. I miss you, though. I just wanted to stop by to remind you that you’re a hero, no matter what people think. Nothing will _ever_ change that.”

Edhas held out a hand and a mask formed itself with a small hue. It was a numbered mask, with a giant number 2 across the face. “I believe this is yours,” he placed it on top of the onyx knife. “Get some rest. You deserve it.”

With that, Edhas turned around and left, entering a portal.

-

As the clock struck twelve, a black fire started to burn in the graveyard. The fire started to grow in height until fire dissipated, revealing a tall man. His skin was pale and his short, black hair was combed back, which was probably the cleanest thing about him. His black robe was tattered and torn, his body and face were gashed and scarred, a gaping hole through his stomach, black fire burning in the inside instead of organs showing. His scythe was rusted and worn; the long end broken in half. His crimson eyes fixated on the grave with the mask and the onyx knife. He walked over and knelt down at the grave, reading it. “It never is the end, is it?” He muttered to himself, picking up the knife and the mask. As quickly as he arrived, he was gone with a flash of black fire, leaving only the wind and the moonlight.

-

**Day 4: The Azure Hunter**

“Thanks for having me over!” Gura chirped, cracking her back. She was underwater in Atlantis, hanging out with her best friend.

“Hey Gura,” Her friend stopped her. “Is it possible for me to meet your wife? We actually have a lot in common, though I don’t know why you married a _gamer_.”

“Sure, why don’t just come along with me?” Gura asked. “I know a place where we could all hang out and eat! Kiara’s going to be there too!”

“Ah, I’ve always wanted to meet Kiara,” Her friend smiled. “Thanks, Gura. I’d love to join you.”

“No problem, Arty.”

-

 _Was that really necessary?_ Ryan sighed. Apparently, Edhas learned how to create loud noises is Ryan’s head like banging and ringing bells.

 _“When you’re nothing but a figment of your brain that’s literally unable to sleep, entertainment comes scarce,”_ Edhas said. _“Now get out of bed before I get you out of bed.”_

Ryan sighed as he got up, picking up his phone. As he did, the phone conveniently started ringing. “Morning Ten-,”

“KIKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed through the phone. “Good morning, Ryan!”

 _Why do I even try anymore?_ Ryan inwardly asked before speaking aloud. “Morning, Tenchou. How are things?”

“Things are going good,” Ryan replied. “I mean, I haven’t died yet.”

 _Thanks to me,_ Edhas said smugly.

 _You know, if I was a normal person, I probably would have lived a better life,_ Ryan though, sighing deeply.

 _“Probably,”_ Nyar said. _“Now get your dumb ass to work before you get into trouble. That phoenix scares me.”_

 _Wow, someone actually scares you?_ Ryan asked.

_“Have you met a hostile phoenix?”_

_Fair enough._

-

Ryan ran into the restaurant, soaking wet. The forecast said that today would be sunny, but it was pouring rain. Edhas insisted on using magic, but even though these were peaceful times, using magic wasn’t any more accepted, so he settled for running.

“Morning, Ryan!” Kiara walked from the back, exuding an abnormal amount of heat, vapor coming from her body.

“Didn’t expect the rain either, huh?” Ryan asked, sighing as he used a spell to create a similar effect that Kiara did, drying himself off.

“Yeah,” Kiara sighed. “That means one of two things.”

“What are those two things?” Ryan asked.

“Either the forecast was completely off,” Kiara then paused, her expression showing a mixture of dread and excitement (somehow), “Or Atlantis’s strongest water mage has resurfaced.”

-

“C’mon, this way!” Gura opened the door excitedly, gesturing someone in. Then, a woman with pale skin and baggy clothes walked in with Amelia. The first thing that Ryan noticed was the fins on her head. The way she moved was also kind of weird. The way she swayed as she walked, it was almost if she was flowing in water.

“You know, for a gamer, you seem pretty alright,” The woman said, turning her head slightly to look at the detective walking next to her.

“Despite all the shit talking about gamers, you seem to be one yourself,” Amelia shot back with a smug smirk.

“A,” The woman opened her mouth, revealing two rows of sharp, white teeth. “I’m not a gamer! You are mistaken.”

“Artemis-chan!” Kiara called. “It’s been too long!”

“Oh, it’s you,” Despite the slightly condescending tone of her voice, the smile on her face only widened. She then looked over to Ryan. “Ah, what’s this? You find your own bottom feeder?”

“I guess you could say that,” Ryan grumbled.

“Don’t say that, my Little Egg,” Kiara slapped Ryan on the back, causing him to flinch. “He’s an employee here!”

_“You know, if you’re an egg, then wouldn’t Kiara have to-,”_

_Don’t you_ dare _finish that thought,_ Ryan shot back threateningly.

“My name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan introduced himself politely.

“My name is Artemis of the Blue, but that’s just a title,” Artemis said. “Just Artemis is fine.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Ryan said as the three sat down.

“So according to the queen, the overworld is now in a state of peace,” Artemis put an arm on the counter as she leaned it.

“I told you not to call me that!” Gura pouted.

“You’re a queen?” Ryan and Amelia asked at the same time.

“In name only,” Gura sighed. “My parents were the king and queen of Atlantis, but ever since… well, then, I’ve been the only heir, even though I’ve denounced the role.”

“Yeah, the place would be a disaster if _we_ ran it,” Amelia chuckled.

“Anyways,” Artemis ignored the couple’s antics. “Want to tell me about it?”

Artemis’s face expression changed only slightly throughout the story. One thing Ryan learned is that she would smile the same smile, even if she was angry or agitated. The thing that changed the most about her was the tone of her voice, which got very aggressive when Amelia told her about how Gura was killed the first time around to the point where Gura herself looked at her with worry. Ryan swore for a second he saw the same murderous lack of light in her eyes that Rushia or Suisei would have when some poor sod pissed her off.

“Don’t worry, we killed all of them off,” Ryan said hastily. “Plus, all of them ceased to be as soon as Ame travelled back in time.”

“That’s good,” Artemis’s tone shifted back to her normal voice as Ryan continued his story, Kiara and Amelia helping out by sharing their perspectives.

“Man, I really wanted to go to the wedding,” Artemis sighed as Ryan finished his story. “Too bad Atlantis has been on high alert since… then. We’ve only lifted up lockdown once we got word that MILF was destroyed.”

“Why would-,” Ryan started, but his mind flashed back to when Polka, Botan, Nene, and Lamy told Aloe’s story the first time around. “Oh.”

“Yeah, not one of our proudest moments, but we had to do what we had to do to keep our citizens safe. As one of the stronger mages in Atlantis, I was forced to stay to keep everyone safe,” Artemis explained. “It’s a real pain, so I took up livestreaming as a hobby.”

“That sounds fun,” Ryan said. “I would love to do something like that, but I don’t really have the time. Tenchou works me sixteen hours a day.”

“I do not!” Kiara pouted. “You earned all those hours of overtime!”

“Talking back shouldn’t translate to two extra hours of overtime,” Ryan grumbled.

“That’s two hours of overtime for you!” Kiara cheered, causing Ryan to facepalm.

“You know, overtime shouldn’t be mandatory,” Amelia pointed out. “Hey Ryan, can you be a dear and make me some tea?”

“Sure,” Ryan sighed as he went to the back, pouring some water into a kettle and putting it above the stove before walking back. “The water’s boiling.”

“Wait!” Gura pouted. “Ame, I should be your only dear!”

“You are, I’m just trying to piss Ryan off,” Amelia pinched Gura’s cheeks as both of them smiled.

“You better stop that lovey-dovey shit before I shove my tongue down your mouth,” Artemis threatened(?).

“Let’s not here,” Ryan shook his head disapprovingly. At that moment, the sound of a kettle going off was heard in the back room.

“That was quick,” Ryan said. “I got it.”

As he walked to the back expecting a kettle with steam coming out of it, he wasn’t prepared for the sight before him. When he turned to get the boiling water, he saw a small, blonde girl staring back at him with blank eyes and her mouth open in a smile. She had green eyes and wore a headband with a little antenna sticking out of it. As steam wasn’t coming out of the kettle, the sound must have been coming from her.

“What the fuck?!” Ryan jumped back, utterly shocked. Out of instinct, he summoned a sword, assuming a battle stance.

“Relax!” The girl stopped her kettle noise, holding up her hands in surrender. “I’m Pikamee, the family-friendly shark mage!”

“What’s taking so long-,” Kiara turned to see the scene unfold, and her smile only widened. “Ah, Pikamee!”

“Kiara!” Pikamee barreled past Ryan to tackle Kiara in a hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

“What are you doing here?!” Kiara asked, smiling down at the small girl. “I haven’t heard from you in ages!”

“The kettle summoned me,” Pikamee replied.

“Ah, I see,” Kiara nodded as if that made sense before Pikamee turned to Ryan.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from the grapevine,” Pikamee smiled at Ryan. “You’re quite the bada- butt you know.”

“I guess,” Ryan sighed. “I guess people are already gossiping about me now?”

“Are you kidding?! You’re practically a _celebrity_!” Pikamee beamed. “You even have your own fan club!”

“Really,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, flustered. “Maybe I should go check it out sometime.”

-

“How are things going?” Sabrina asked, stacking a piece of paper as Brianna walked into the room.

“Japan has set up a location for the Ryan Shade Fan Club (RSFC),” Brianna smiled.

“Great!” Sabrina set down the stack of papers. “We will make that the main headquarters.”

-

“I actually stopped by the location in The Philippines,” Pikamee said. “It’s really cool! They made fan merchandise and are waiting for your approval to sell it. They haven’t found a way to contact you yet.”

Ryan sighed. He might have to apply for a verified tick on Instapound, since he opted for using the username “KFPisnotacult” rather than his actual name (AN: KFP is not a cult. Stop saying it. If I hear anyone in the comments saying it, I will personally donate you to Tenchou to be used for a Calli summoning ritual).

“Where’s my tea?!” Amelia shouted. Ryan knew she wouldn’t be this demanding if Ryan wasn’t the person serving her.

“Shut up, _gamer_!” Artemis said, spitting out the last word. Ryan had no idea _why_ Artemis had something against gamers, since she was one herself, but Ryan sighed. At that point, the water was actually boiling.

Ryan added some tea leaves into a teapot and brought it out, getting a teacup from underneath the cupboard. “Now, say ‘ahhh’,” Amelia was holding a doughnut hole close to Gura.

“A,” Gura opened her mouth as Amelia fed her the treat. “Yummy!”

“You two should get a room,” Artemis sighed.

“Not the break room,” Ryan inched closer to the room to the break room, as if to defend it. “There’s been enough ground pounding in there.”

“By the way, Calli is _totally_ a bottom,” Kiara smirked, waggling her eyebrows at Ryan.

“You know, I did _not_ need to know that,” Ryan said sternly.

 _“Damn, what a waste,”_ Edhas said, noticeable disappointment in his voice.

 _That’s enough about of you,_ Ryan grumbled. He honestly needed a nap.

-

“EEEE!” A girl with a tail and small horns was sitting in the new RSCF, squealing at the screen, showing recordings of the war against MILF. Ryan Shade was weaving through soldiers with practiced ease, leaving only severed limbs, dead bodies, and the afterglow from his deep purple eyes. As an explosion went off behind him, the girl saw a familiar looking succubus carrying a blonde girl through the air. She audibly gasped as she saw the woman fly by.

“Aloe’s alive?!” She said, tears forming in her eyes. She had to find her friend, _now_.

After a couple hours of searching, she didn’t find anything about Aloe’s whereabouts, but _did_ find something interesting. Apparently, Aloe’s friends, Botan, Nene, Lamy, and Polka liked to hang out at a certain KFP. Of course, this information wouldn’t be available to the net, but such things didn’t escape the magical net.

“Oh, so you’re going to the KFP, huh?” A voice startled the girl. She jumped and turned to see a familiar brown-haired girl wearing a pink hoodie with a white number 4 on it and skinny jeans.

“Godson-kaichou!” The girl shot up, bowing deeply at the chairman of the RSFC. “Thank you for letting me stay here!”

“None of that,” Sabrina waved her hand dismissively. “If you’re heading to the KFP, I guess I’ll come with you. It’s been a while since I went to see that daft idiot.”

-

**Day 5: Simping over the MC is NOT okay!**

_“You know, I have a_ very _bad feeling about today,”_ Edhas said as Ryan crawled out of bed. _“You better prepare yourself, kid.”_

 _I’m eighteen years of age, thank you very much,_ Ryan said. _I’ll prepare myself, though. I’ll trust that you can handle it if things go too south, though._

 _“Who the hell do you think I am?”_ Edhas said, his ego showing once again.

 _You’re two mechs too early to say shit like that,_ Ryan deadpanned. Thankfully, the phone rang before Edhas had the opportunity to blow an airhorn in his head.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara exclaimed. “Today’s a very important day!”

“What’s up?” Ryan asked groggily, thankful that Edhas didn’t pull anything while Ryan was talking to his boss. After all, an angry phoenix was a dangerous phoenix.

“I invited the chairman of the RSFC!” Kiara chirped.

“You WHAT?!” Ryan shouted.

“You said you wanted to check it out,” Kiara said innocently.

“Does she even know I’m there?!” Ryan asked.

“Of course! She always did!” Kiara said. “Apparently someone she knows has some business here and wanted to come. She doesn’t know you work here, though.”

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed. “What do you want me to do?”

“Keep your chastity.”

“Keep my what?”

“I know what I said.”

_“Actually, I’m not a-,”_

_Yeah, like I’ll ever believe that._

-

Aloe was doing the same as she always did, eating a bento box and watching the events of the real world through the screen of a TV. “Hey Storm!” She called out, summoning the man. The man appeared behind her without a sound or a flash of light. His hair had grown out into a ponytail which was rested over his right shoulder and he had his mask off, revealing sharp, grey eyes and a deep scowl. “Am I able to go to the real world for today?”

Storm looked at her, his expression unchanging. A couple seconds of silence passed before Storm opened his mouth. “The void permits it,” he said. “You shall depart soon.”

Aloe turned, smiling at the man. “Thank you, Storm.”

-

“I love it when Tenchou is all foreboding and stuff,” Ryan grumbled as he walked into the restaurant.

“Good morning, Ryan!” Kiara chirped. “You’re just in time!”

“Just in time for what?” Ryan asked.

“Ryan!” A familiar voice was heard as he felt a force tackle his back.

“Gah!” Ryan shouted in shock as he stumbled forward. “Sabrina?! I thought you were going to college!”

“Well, I won’t need to anymore!” Sabrina chirped. “Brianna and I got normal, high paying jobs!”

“Really?!” Ryan turned around and returned Sabrina’s hug. “Congratulations!”

“Actually, someone also decided to come with me today!” Sabrina smiled. “I hope you’re excited to meet my co-worker!”

“It would be my honor,” Ryan said. Unfortunately, he failed to notice the devilish smirk Kiara was making, as he was focused on Sabrina, who was tapping away on her phone. Suddenly, a puff of pink smoke and a small girl appeared. The girl had small, white horns and a tail. She had pink hair with purple streaks and magenta eyes.

“Hello! My name is-,” she stopped when she saw Ryan. Instantly, her eyes started to sparkle, and her tail shot up until it was completely straight. “OH MY GOD ARE YOU _THE_ RYAN SHADE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

“Ah, you know me?” Ryan asked, rubbing the back of his head, his face flushing slightly in embarrassment. “I’m flattered.”

“Of course I know you! You’re famous!” The girl squealed. “And the way you swing your swords! It’s so manly!”

 _You know, manly is the last thing I would use to describe me,_ Ryan thought internally, causing Edhas to chuckle.

 _“Agreed,”_ Edhas said.

 _That doesn’t mean you can agree,_ Ryan said.

“So, are you the leader of the RSFC I’ve heard of?” Ryan turned to the girl.

“No, I would never!” The girl held her hands up, shaking her head. “Godson-kaichou is!”

“I told you to just call me Sabrina,” Sabrina sighed.

“How can I, after all you’ve done for me!” The girl insisted, pouting.

“Is that the job you’re talking about?” Ryan asked.

“We just need your approval for the merch,” Sabrina said.

“Whatever, I want some of the money though,” Ryan said.

“Not a problem,” Sabrina said. “Now, are you going to take our orders or not?”

“Wait,” the girl stopped her pouting and swooning to stare at Ryan. “You work here?”

“Always have,” Ryan said as the girl put a silver bell on her choker. “I actually didn’t know I was famous until yesterday.”

“Really?! I thought you were some sort of millionaire or something!” The girl gasped. “Why are you working in a dump like this?!”

 _“Kid, defuse the situation_ now _,”_ Edhas said. He didn’t need to tell Ryan twice. He could feel the murderous intent from Kiara, even with his lack of experience in the magical world.

“Uh, you haven’t told me your name yet,” Ryan said nervously.

“Oh! My name is Ironmouse! It’s nice to meet you!” The girl said.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ironmouse-san,” Ryan smiled kindly and offered his hand. Even if she was a bit… unhinged, that was no reason for Ryan to not be polite.

“It’s an honor to meet you too!” Ironmouse squealed, shaking his hand vigorously before looking at her hand in awe. “I’m never washing my hands again.”

“Uh, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Ryan said.

“Mousey, you still need to explain to the manager why you’re here,” Sabrina said.

“Oh! Of course!” Ironmouse said. “We were looking for four girls by the name of Polka, Nene, Lamy, and Botan. Would you happen to know where they are?”

“I don’t know their exact location,” Ryan rubbed his chin. “Why do you need them?”

“We’re looking for one of my friends, Mano Aloe,” Ironmouse explained. “I thought she died three years ago, but after… reviewing some of the clips of the war, I saw her face more than once. I’m looking for them so I can get some answers.”

“Ah, well there’s no need for that,” Ryan said. “I already know where she is. Please, take a seat.”

“Really?! I thought I couldn’t love you more!” Ironmouse exclaimed as she dashed over to a seat, Sabrina calmly following her.

“Uh, I’m not sure that’s healthy,” Ryan said as he walked behind the counter.

“Do you have any pink starbursts?” Ironmouse asked.

“Actually, we do,” Kiara said. “You should talk to them, Ryan. I got this.”

“Alright, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he turned to the two girls as Kiara walked over to the back. “So, what do you want to know?”

“Is she alive? If so, where is she? If not, how was she in the clips?” Ironmouse asked in rapid succession, looking at him with expectant eyes. Ryan sighed as he thought about the answers.

 _How do I explain this?_ He asked his Edhas. _You know more about this than I do, right?_

Fortunately, he didn’t have to resort to whatever his other half replied with when the doors busted open. “Allow me to answer that,” Ryan looked up to see Aloe walk in the store.

“Nice to see you again, Mano-san,” Ryan smiled at the succubus. “I can’t believe Storm let you out of that place. Last time I checked he was quite the asshole.”

“ALOE!” Ironmouse instantly turned around and dashed, tackling the succubus into a hug. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! I COULDN’T EVEN FIND YOU IN THE UNDERWHE- UNDERWORLD!”

“It’s nice to see you again, you Mad Loli,” Aloe returned the pint-sized demon’s hug, a small smile on her face. “As for the dead part, that’s a bit complicated. Let’s take a seat, okay?”

As they sat down, Aloe looked at Ryan. “I see you’ve been handling Edhas well.”

“We’ve learned to tolerate each other,” Ryan said begrudgingly. Though they still bickered, at least Edhas stopped his incessant swearing. “Well, at least I think we are.”

 _“Damn straight,”_ Edhas sighed. _“Not that I like it.”_

“So where have you been all this time?” Ironmouse turned to her friend.

“Well, I’m kind of in a state of near-death permanently,” Aloe explained. “As my soul was about to be taken to the afterlife, I was extracted and placed into the void. Apparently, I had a role in whatever the void willed. It’s not like I have a choice but to follow. How’s Froot doing?”

“Froot’s doing alright!” Ironmouse chirped. “She would have loved to see you, though.”

“I’m not sure when I’ll be allowed to come to the living world again, but when I do, I’ll be sure to send you a sign,” Aloe smiled.

“I still can’t get over the fact that _the_ Ryan Shade is here!” Ironmouse swooned. “You know, I think I love you so much that you have to die.”

“Uh oh,” Ryan and Edhas said at the same time. Without thinking, Ryan instantly relinquished control as Ironmouse went to grab the bell on her choker.

As Ironmouse pulled the bell off, Edhas transported them to an empty void. Without the bell, Ironmouse’s magic energy skyrocketed. She charged a pink laser in her hand, causing Edhas to jump out. Ironmouse shot the laser as Edhas summoned his two swords preparing to block the giant attack.

“The void should only be used for important fights and not petty crushes,” a man appeared in between the two, holding out his hand. As the laser touched his hand, it started to vanish until all of it was gone.

“Thanks for the save, Storm,” Edhas smirked at the man, who just turned and glared at him, his mask now on.

“You shouldn’t be here right now,” Storm said. “You two should go back.”

“I was planning on doing tha-,” Edhas was cut off when Storm snapped his fingers, warping the two away.

Edhas relinquished control as he appeared back in the KFP. He looked around, but Ironmouse was nowhere to be seen. Kiara walked back into the room and sighed, holding a bowl of pink starburst.

“It took me a long time to pick out all the pink ones,” Kiara said, looking dejected.

“I’ll take them,” Ryan raised his hand. Kiara gasped happily, giving Ryan the starburst.

“Where did Mousey go?” Sabrina asked.

“Storm sent her off somewhere else,” Ryan answered, popping a piece of candy in his mouth. Sabrina sighed.

“I should have expected that,” she said. “Anyways, now that she’s gone, I’ll take my leave.”

“Sure, but don’t be a stranger, okay?” Ryan said. “Also, don’t forget to send me a cut of the merch.”

“Will do,” Sabrina said with a smile as she turned around and walked off. Ryan turned back to Aloe just in time to see her wince as a dark energy started to seep out of her.

“I guess the void wants me to come back,” she gave Ryan a small smile before turning to Kiara, handing her four bento boxes, colored gray, light blue, yellow, and orange respectively. “I’ll trust you to give them this?”

“Of course,” Kiara smiled softly as she took the boxes.

“Until next time,” Aloe closed her eyes, the smile never fading as she was reduced to black mist and fading away. Ryan and Kiara looked at each other.

“Hey, they’re mine,” Ryan brought the bowl closer to him.

-

**Day 6: Petrified**

“Ah, I’m hungry,” an abnormally pale girl was plucking on the strings of her acoustic guitar. “I don’t want to cook.”

She put the guitar on the stand beside her and rolled her chair over to her computer, which wasn’t all too far. She typed in something on the computer and looked at the results. “Ahh, there are too many people in these areas,” she said in a monotone voice. “Maybe the magical places have less people.”

After switching tabs to the magical web, she typed in something and scrolled down, stopping in front of an image of an orange and white building. “A magical KFP?” She asked aloud, followed by a hissing noise. Chicken doesn’t sound too bad.

-

Ryan sighed as he cracked his back. His morning routines were starting to get repetitive and boring.

 _“So can we teleport now?”_ Edhas asked, his tone brightening with excitement.

 _You wish,_ Ryan sighed, looking at his phone. _Maybe we should go early. Maybe we’ll see something interesting._

 _“Whatever,”_ Edhas sighed as Ryan got up.

-

“Excuse me?” A woman’s voice caught Ryan’s attention as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ryan turned around to see a girl with short green hair. Ryan was surprised when he saw the four horns and the crown on her head. The girl was absolutely adorable, but something about her unnerved him.

 _“Holy shit that’s a lich!”_ Edhas shouted. _“Be careful!”_

Ryan gave the lich a blank stare before snapping from his stupor. “May I help you?”

“I sense a dark aura in you,” the lich said, somehow smiling off brightly while being extremely unsettling. “My name is BSApricot, also known as Froot, and if you don’t watch yourself, I’ll _personally_ claim your soul, understand?”

 _“Okay, time to teleport now!”_ Edhas forced control of Ryan’s body, warping out of the area instantly.

“Hold on,” Froot put a finger on her chin. “He kind of looked like that dude that Mousey started simping over. Weird.”

-

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan was leaning on the entrance to the KFP as Kiara flew down with her wings of fire.

“Ryan! You’re early!” Kiara put her phone in her pocket. “I was about to call you!”

“I know,” Ryan said. “I got bored, so I left early.”

“Ah, excuse me?” Both Ryan and Kiara turned to see an abnormally pale woman. Her black hair flowed into her thick, black jacket that contrasted with the white dress that she was wearing. The woman’s voice was monotone, as if she wasn’t fully awake. Her voice reminded Ryan of an anime Kuudere. “Do you work here?”

“Ah, yes!” Kiara smiled brightly to the woman. “My name is Takanashi Kiara! Nice to meet you!”

“My name is Ririsya,” The woman smiled, though the tone of her voice didn’t change. “Are you open?”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan smiled warmly at the woman. “We were just getting ready to open up. Would you like to come in?”

“That would be nice,” Ririsya tilted her head ever so slightly as she put her hands together in front of her.

 _-100! Critical Hit!_ Ryan winced as he opened the door, turning on the lights. “So, what would you like to eat, Ririsiya-san?” He asked, turning around as he walked around the counter with Kiara.

“May I please have a tub of Birb Mild Chicken Legs?” Ririsya asked. She then hit her palm with her fist. “Ooh! May I have some chocolate ice cream too?”

“Of course,” Ryan smiled as he went to the back. As he turned, he saw a bit of black mist from the corner of his eye. He knew what that meant. Well, he’s cooking, so it wasn’t his problem. He hummed to himself as he stuck the chicken legs into the deep fryer, watching the chicken cook. When he walked out, he instantly felt a tense aura as Calli and Ririsya sat next to each other, both of them looking down at the table.

“Uh, did something happen?” Ryan asked, looking to Kiara and point to Calli. “Aren’t you two supposed to be making out or some shit?”

“W-we don’t make out!” Calli’s face turned red as she slammed the table. “We… passionately kiss.”

Ryan smiled as he at least succeeded in returning the smile in Ririsya’s face. “So, what’s with this tense atmosphere?” Ryan looked back and forth between the Shinigami and the pale woman.

“Well… I’m an undead,” Ririsya said, followed by a hissing sound as the smile faded from her face.

“Your boy being here kind of… awkward,” Calli sighed.

“Bah, none of that!” Ryan grabbled a wine bottle and two wine glasses. “After a couple glasses of this, you’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Shade-san,” Ririsiya gave Ryan a sweet smile as he poured her a glass, causing Ryan to wince in another cuteness overload.

 _“Damn, all these cute girls are going to be the death of me,”_ Edhas said, sounding visibly pained. Since he didn’t have a physical body, cuteness overloads affected his entire being.

“Please, just Ryan,” Ryan smiled. He had to resist the urge to give the pale woman pats. Well, that was just a daily life at KFP.

“Thanks Ryan,” Calli offered Ryan a smile when he poured her a class. Of course, Ryan didn’t want to give her pats because her and Kiara would kill him, and it would _not_ be quick.

“So, what kind of undead are you?” Ryan asked, turning to Ririsya.

“I’m actually the soul of a basilisk possessing a human body,” Ririsya replied. (AN: This is NOT canon. This is just my way of tying together the whole undead and snake thing.)

“Not the strangest thing I’ve seen, but that’s pretty neat,” Ryan said.

“You really think so?” Ririsya’s tone and facial expression didn’t change much, but her body language made up for it.

“Yeah, just have some stupid alternate personality,” Ryan sighed.

“Alternate personality?” Ririsya asked, interested.

 _Care to introduce yourself?_ Ryan asked his other (not better) half.

 _“I’d… uh, rather not,”_ Edhas said, sounding nervous.

 _C’mon, aren’t cute girls like your thing?_ Ryan asked.

 _“I mean, I guess. I’m just pointing things out for you since you’re dense to these things most of the time,”_ Edhas pointed out.

Feeling called out, Ryan decided it was time to stop his inner dialogue. “He’s a bit shy,” he said. “But he’s the part of me that has all of my magic. I’m able to utilize magic on my own, but I can’t use nearly as much as he can.”

“I see,” Ririsya said. “Considering the mana output you’re displaying right now, your magical side must be very powerful.”

“Yeah, Edhas is quite something, even if he’s quite a prick,” Ryan admitted.

 _“Thank you,”_ Edhas said smugly.

“You said his name was Edhas?” Ririsya stiffened slightly, but if anyone other than Ryan noticed, Ryan couldn’t determine it.

 _Are you really that famous?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Well, let’s just say I have quite the past,”_ Edhas replied, chucking nervously.

“I see,” Ririsya said, pronouncing the second word with a prolonged hiss.

“Now that I think about it, you two are like Fubuki-senpai and Kurokami,” Kiara put a finger on her chin, looking up at the ceiling in thought.

“Actually, you’re right,” Ryan said. “That’s interesting.”

“So, how are you enjoying the living world, Ririsya-dono?” Calli sipped on her wine. “It’s been a couple hundred years since I’ve seen you last. Your cover of my song was pretty nice, though.”

“I’m honored,” Ririsya dipped her head lightly at the Shinigami, smiling slightly. “Things have been nice. I’ve found my own place and am making a stable income livestreaming. My fanbase can be a bit… enthusiastic, though.”

“I totally get you,” Calli sighed, but the corners of her lips rose. “It’s fun, though. I know they mean the best.”

“How’s the food?” Ryan asked as he noticed the chicken was already almost gone.

“Ah, I haven’t tried it yet,” Ririsya said blankly.

“Tenchou,” Ryan turned to glare at his boss, who only gave him a blank stare, throwing away a chicken bone.

“Yes? Did you need something, Ryan?” Kiara asked, a _suspiciously_ innocent look on her face.

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed as he turned around. “I apologize for my boss, Ririsya-san. I’ll go make you another bucket.”

-

As Artemis returned to Atlantis, she swam through the city, weaving and turning through the crowded and complex streets until she reached a tube. She sighed, swimming through the tube. When she emerged on the other side, she was face to face with a gigantic whale, several times bigger than an average whale.

“Ah, Artemis,” The whale opened its mouth and the ground shook from the sheer volume of her voice. Despite the volume, the voice gentle and soft. “Welcome back. I take it that your trip to the overworld was productive.”

“Yes, there have been some interesting developments, _kami-sama_ ,” Artemis said the last word playfully, her lips twitching upwards.

“Arty, how many times have I told you not to call me that?” The whale said. Artemis knew that she was pouting, even though she didn’t show any physical changes. “What interesting developments are you talking about?”

“Whatever,” Artemis shrugged. “The Masked Mages have come back to life. All of them except the second one, of course. The fifth works in a fast-food restaurant”

“I see,” The whale started to glow, shrinking in size until a blue haired woman in a dress took her place. “Summon Makuro-chan. It’s time I pay the overworld a visit again.”

-

“What did you want?” Coco was in her dragon form in a secluded mountain range, confronted by a dragon that was a few feet meters tall from her. The dragon was completely mechanical, blue electricity crackling from its red cybernetic eyes.

“I heard there was this new place in Japan to eat,” Despite its robotic appearance, the dragon’s voice was that of a human female. “What did you think of it?”

“Oh, that’s what you summoned me here for? You could just look online,” Since Coco was on all fours, she couldn’t facepalm, as much as she wanted to. “It’s pretty good. I guess you could say I’m considered one of the regulars, I guess. I’ve been there a couple times.”

“One of my friends joined the RSFC recently,” The robotic dragon replied. “Do you know if he’s a threat?”

“Just don’t anger him,” Coco said. “To be fair, I don’t know if even _you_ could survive his wrath. Other than that, he’s a really nice person.”

“I see,” the electricity crackling in the dragon’s eyes intensified, some of the sparks hitting the mountains around them. “Maybe I’ll go check it out.”

As the robotic dragon flew off, Coco sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”

-

“Hey, Ryan, you got mail today,” Ryan’s landlord said. Usually, the two just don’t talk to each other much, just leaving each other alone since Ryan pays his bills on time, but Ryan getting mail is weird. No one cares about Ryan enough to send mail, most of the time, so Ryan doesn’t even check his mailbox most of the time.

“Thanks, man,” Ryan said, going to his mailbox. “You’re a lifesaver.”

The landlord gave Ryan a nod before walking off. _Who would possibly want to mail me?_

As Ryan closed the door to his apartment, he opened the letter.

_I only sent you five percent of the funds for the first two days of sale. As time goes on, I’ll send you more money. Once it sells better, I’ll start sending you 30 percent!_

_Love,_

_Sabrina <3_

“Damn, I can’t believe she’s cheating me out of money just because it isn’t selling well,” Ryan grumbled. He put the letter down and looked at the check. His eyed widened as he stared at it.

“How many fucking zeros are on here?!” Ryan shouted. He slammed the check on the table, splitting the table in half, sighing. “I really have some simps, huh?”

 _“At least you have enough money to replace that table now,”_ Edhas chuckled.

“Huh?” Ryan looked at the destroyed table in front of him. “Fuck.”

-

Meanwhile, Ironmouse was wearing a Ryan Shade T-Shirt, swinging around the limited-edition Ryan Shade Swords of Light and Darkness. “EEEEEE!”

Sabrina looked at the scene before her, holding in her laugh as she recorded this scene. She then sent the video she recorded to Ryan, unable to hold her laugh anymore. _Ryan’s going to get a kick out of this._

-

**Day 7: An Odd Combination**

“Writer-sama?” I look up from my laptop to see a familiar cat girl with pink hair standing by my door.

“If it isn’t the bane of my existence,” I muttered, sighing as I continued typing chapter one of KFP: The Rise of Edhas, which has been something that I’ve been developing, though I’ve since hit a writer’s block. “What’s up, Nyanners?”

“I was going to ask if I can join the-,”

“NO!” I cut her off with a shout, slamming the laptop shut. The mere thought of Nyanners being a part of KFP: Double Back sent shudders down my spine. If Nyanners even made a cameo, I feared that I might have to change the rating tag to “Explicit”, and my fics are SEISO. SEI! SO!

“Please?” Nyanners gave me little kitty eyes. “I won’t talk about feet, I promise…”

“Are you going to talk about pee?” I asked.

“Maybe…” Nyanners admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She didn’t even look sorry about it.

“Fine,” I sighed in defeat, massaging my temples. Since I was introducing VShojo into this fic and it wouldn’t be fair to not include the demonic cat. “If you even _think_ about of threatening my precious T rating, I’ll write you out, though. Give me some time to consider it, though. I already have a few people lined up.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Nyanners cheered, running off.

“No problem,” I said, sighing again. “Wait, how did she get in my house?”

-

Ryan sighed as he cracked his neck. “Guess I’m leaving early again,” he said as he got up, cracking his back.

 _“Be wary of that lich,”_ Edhas said. _“I mean, I’m sure I can take one on, but things might get dicey. Unless you destroy the world, then you won’t be able to escape punishment if I accidentally killing someone.”_

 _Jeez, you really need to shut up about that shit,_ Ryan sighed. _It’s getting stale._

 _“Too bad, asshole,”_ Edhas chuckled. _“Now get your ass to work before I get your ass to work.”_

-

As Ryan turned to the alley, he saw a small little unicorn with wings trotting from one side to the other, its eyes close. “Oh my god, that’s so cute!” Ryan squealed, picking up the little horse.

 _“Ryan, what the hell are you doing?!”_ Edhas shouted in his head. _“Put that thing down!”_

 _Put it down? It’s just an adorable little horse,_ Ryan shot back, patting the small, plush-sized unicorn.

“Oh my god!” Ryan snapped to attention when he saw a girl about his size with little wings and a horn running up to him. “I’m so sorry about Jam!”

“Is this little fella yours?” Ryan asked, offering the unicorn to her. The unicorn flapped its little wings and flew over to the girl’s arms. “I’m sorry about that. I just found him on my way to work.”

“Thank you for taking care of him,” The girl offered a soft smile as she cradled her partner. “I’ll be sure to pay you back someday.”

“There’s no need,” Ryan said, turning to walk towards his job. “I was just passing by. I didn’t really do anything.”

“Some people still would have shot a tiny horse with a horn,” The girl said, causing Ryan to stop, giving the girl a glare. The news angered him, but he wasn’t angry at the girl.

“Then he’s not the real monster in this world,” Ryan turned his head, so he was facing the depths of the alley and started to walk away. “They are.”

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan grumbled as he walked in. If being a sour mood wasn’t good enough, Edhas had to chew him out, informing him the little adorable bean he picked up and pet was an alicorn with the magical capabilities of blowing up Jupiter in one go. “How is everything?”

“Things are good!” Kiara said, turning to Ryan. “Since you decided to start coming early, I decided to show up early as well!”

“How did you know I would decide to start showing up early from now on?” Ryan asked.

“I didn’t! If you weren’t here, I would have called you earlier,” Kiara gave Ryan a smile.

“Fine, fine,” Ryan said, sighed as he walked around the counted.

“So, what is January going to be?” A squirrel girl walked in with Moona and a girl with white hair and what seemed to be pain splotches on her hair and outfit. Ryan vaguely remembered the squirrel girl as Ayunda Risu, the girl who gave him a doughnut back at Gura and Amelia’s wedding. “Juice and Jam January?”

“Risu, I think you’ve been watching too many Sonic cartoons,” Moona said. “What do you think, Iofi-chan?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Sonic cartoons!” The girl cheered. “Sonic is amazing! I need to get around to drawing him.”

“Moona-senpai! Tupaisen! Iofi-senpai!” Kiara called over. “Welcome!”

Moona shot Kiara a glare but said nothing. “Kiara-chan!” Risu hopped over to the phoenix, an inquisitive look in her eyes. “What do you think about Juice and Jam January?”

“That sounds great!” Kiara chirped. Risu then turned to Ryan.

“What about you, Ryan?” Risu’s eyes bore deep into Ryan’s soul, the light scurrying out of them in abject fear.

“That… uh… sounds like a wonderful idea…?” Ryan shuffled nervously. His eyes darted to Kiara, pleading for help. The manager just offered Ryan a simple shrug as if to say, ‘just roll with it’.

“Really?” Risu’s eyes shot up. “Thank you, Ryan!”

“Sorry about Risu,” the white-haired girl walked next to Risu, putting a hand on her head. “My name is Airani Iofifteen, but you can just call me Iofi.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ryan shook the girl’s hand, but froze when he felt a murderous gaze on him.

“Don’t touch my wife,” Moona growled at him.

“Wait,” Ryan let go of Iofi’s hand and held both his hands up in surrender. “If Iofi-san here is your wife, then who is Usada-san to you?”

“Sanchou is…” Moona put a finger on her chin, looking for the right word. “A friend”

“Bullshit!” Everyone, even Iofi shouted.

“We’re not married yet, actually,” Iofi then leaned over to whisper into Ryan’s ear. “But I plan on changing that _very_ soon.”

“What did she say?” Moona asked as Iofi pulled away, offering Ryan to wink. As Ryan opened his mouth, Iofi offered a murderous smile, leagues scarier than Moona’s glare.

“Nothing,” Ryan took a step back, holding his hands up again. “Absolutely nothing. Just about Juice and Jam January! It’s a great idea, right? Actually, let me get you all some toast and orange juice! I’ll even get some strawberry jam!”

Everyone looked at each other as Ryan ran off. “Well…” Kiara looked at the three one at a time. “That was something.”

-

Ryan was relieved when he walked back with three plates of toast and three glasses of orange juice to see that no one had been slaughtered in his absence. “Here’s your food,” He said, placing a glass and a plate in front of each of the three customers.

“Are you enjoying this time of peace?” Iofi asked. “It’s quite amazing that we’re on one, honestly. I never thought you humans could pull it off.”

“The humans didn’t pull it off, though,” Ryan replied. “We did.”

“You _were_ a human when you fought in the war,” Moona said. “At least, the first half of the war.”

“War? Looked like a massacre to me,” Ryan grumbled. “I mean, I was the only casualty on my side.”

“It would have been better if you stayed dead,” Moona muttered under her breath, but it was loud enough for Ryan to hear.

“What was that?” Kiara gave Moona a menacing smile as she cracked her knuckles, her eye twitching as fire flared from her nostrils.

“I said it’s great that you’re not dead!” Moona corrected, obviously distressed. With how much these two are at odds, Ryan was surprised for Moona to back off for once.

“That sounds better,” Kiara’s smiled brightened.

“Whatever,” Moona grumbled before wrapping her arms around Iofi’s arm and pulling herself close to the painter.

“Iofi, Kiara’s bullying me,” Moona whined, giving her “wife” puppy dog eyes. “Comfort me please.”

“There, there,” Iofi stroked Moona’s hair, giving her a soft smile as she pulled Moona closer, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Get a room, you two,” Risu sighed. Ryan saw a similar glint in her eyes as she made an all too familiar expression.

“So, you’re a loner, too,” Ryan said to Risu.

“Ryan, you _know_ that there are girls after you,” Risu replied. “You have an international fan club for Matsuri’s sake. Open your eyes.”

“I never noticed this,” Ryan said, giving Risu a blank expression.

 _“You literally had_ stalkers _,” Edhas said. “How didn’t you see this? You’re so daft.”_

 _I’m sorry that this world is weird,_ Ryan said.

 _“Man, are you gay or something? You’re surrounded by cute girls!”_ Edhas said.

 _I’m not gay*!_ Ryan shouted in his head, refusing the urge to physically hit his head.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone someday,” Kiara patted Ryan’s back.

“Honestly, I hope so,” Ryan said. “I’m not sure if I’m looking for that now, but the thought of living with someone happily for the rest of my life sounds appealing.”

“Yeah,” Risu looked down at her uneaten toast. “Having someone would be nice.

-

Ryan sighed as he walked into his apartment, flopping on the bed. The rest of the day just devolved into an awkward silence after that conversation, so the three decided to leave. _What_ do _I want in life? In a partner?_ Ryan asked himself.

 _“I mean, I had a girlfriend before I died,”_ Edhas said. _“I really miss her.”_

 _What was her name?_ Ryan asked, genuinely curious.

 _“Sabrina,”_ Edhas answered simply.

 _I don’t believe you,_ Ryan grabbed his phone, dialing Sabrina’s number. _I don’t believe you._

“Hello?” Sabrina asked through the phone. "What do you need, Ryan?”

“Was Edhas really your boyfriend?” Ryan asked, still in disbelief.

“I…” Sabrina faltered. “Yes, he was. I really miss him.”

Ryan stiffened as he noticed that Sabrina’s voice sound noticeably sadder as she talked. “I’m sorry…” he said, realizing his mistake. “That was rude of me.”

“It’s okay…” Sabrina’s voice broke. “I just need a minute.”

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Sabrina had already cut the line. Ryan flopped on the bed, putting his arm over his eyes as he closed them.

 _“Smooth,”_ Edhas said.

 _Shut up,_ Ryan grumbled. Maybe it was time for bed.

-

“Storm,” A tall, rugged man with red eyes and a tattered cloth confronted Storm in the endless void the man resided in, giving him a warm smile as he held his broken scythe and onyx knife.

“Grimm,” Storm took off his mask as he walked up to Grimm, giving him a big hug. “I’m so glad the void decided to let you join us.”

“I’m so glad that I can join you, brother,” Grimm returned the hug before pulling away, crimson eyes staring at grey eyes.

“What’s the occasion?” Storm asked. “Is the universe in danger?”

“Not yet,” Grimm offered a hearty chuckle. “I was just granted more abilities to interact with the real world, so the void thought that I would be more fit in this realm than my last one.”

“What about Phoenix Dimension?” Storm asked, referring to the space where phoenixes go when they die to be relocated.

“I still run it,” Grimm said, looking at his broken scythe. “I now only have to be there when a phoenix dies, and since phoenixes are almost extinct, I’ll have a lot more time to interact with you and the real world. How is Edhas doing?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard about his situation,” Storm said.

“Actually, I haven’t,” Grimm said.

“Well,” Storm looked shocked, but his face quickly regained composure. “I guess I have quite the story to tell you.”

“Great! I love stories!” With a snap of Grimm’s fingers, two chairs appeared. “I’m so excited to hear all of your stories.”

-

“A lot has happened,” Storm spent a couple hours filling Grimm in on the events of the original KFP, Grimm smiling throughout it.

“So, Ryan and Edhas are friends with Calliope?” Grimm asked, leaning forward.

“Apparently,” Storm said. “I don’t really take interest in their personal lives. Maybe if I was still alive, but ever since become the herald of the void, I can’t care for things such as the emotions of others.”

“I’m very happy that this happened,” Grimm’s smile softened as he looked up into the infinite blackness. “My students… I _will_ see you soon, and that’s a promise.”

-

**Day 8: Goddess of the Sea**

“Oribana Makuro,” The giant whale confronted a killer whale.

“Yes, Bao-sama,” The killer whale replied with a girl’s voice. “Is there something you need?”

“We’re going to be going to the overworld today,” the whale replied. “How is your human form?”  
“I can handle one day, Bao-sama,” the whale replied. “Where will we be going?”

“None of this Bao-sama stuff,” Bao said, its huge lips curving upward. “We’re going to be going to KFP.”

-

 _“Heads up, Ryan,”_ Edhas said, putting Ryan on edge. _“I’m sensing diving magic coming this way.”_

 _Divine magic?!_ Ryan gasped aloud. _As in a god type of divine magic?_

 _“Exactly,”_ Edhas said. _“Most of the evil gods died a few years ago, so they shouldn’t be aggressive. Be cautious, of course.”_

 _Got you,_ Ryan thought as someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see a girl with long, blue hair and a seashell dress and a short girl with a fin on her head.

“Excuse me?” The blue-haired girl asked. “I was looking for a… particular KFP. Would you happen to know where it is?”

 _“Just our luck,”_ Edhas sighed. _“Luckily, it’s just Bao-chan. Don’t call her that, though. She_ is _a goddess.”_

“Of course, Bao-sama,” Ryan said instinctively, bowing low. “I happen to work at that KFP. Let me lead you there.”

 _“Idiot, you’re not supposed to know her name!”_ Edhas shouted.

 _Oops,_ Ryan said as the finned girl entered a fighting stance and Bao narrowed her eyes.

“How do you know my name?” Water started to form around Bao’s hand as she started to tense. “Are you one of those religious zealots?”

“Wait!” Ryan jumped back, holding his hands up in surrender. “I… the little voice in my head said that you were a deity, so I thought that I was obligated to treat you with respect.”

 _“Wow, way to throw me under the bus man,”_ Edhas grumbled. Bao closed her eyes and concentrated before opening them again, her lips curving upwards.

“I do sense a second reserve of magic in you,” she said. “I believe you. No need me to call me Bao-sama though. All these honorifics are suffocating.”

“Whatever you say, Bao-san,” Ryan said before turning to the girl with the fin. “What’s your name? My name is Ryan Shade.”

“O-Oribana Makuro…” The girl said shyly before slightly bowing. “I’m sorry for misplacing my aggression. It’s just last time Bao-sama and I went to the overworld…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan offered her a smile, realizing how uncomfortable she felt. “Something bad must have happened.”

“You said you worked at this magical KFP?” Bao asked. “Can you lead the way?”

“Of course,” Ryan’s smile only grew. Today was going to be an interesting day.

-

“Welcome!” Kiara chirped as the three entered the KFP. “Hey, Ryan! Who are these two?”

“Wow, someone entering the store who you don’t know?” Ryan gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

“Hey!” Kiara pouted.

“This is Bao-san and Oribana-san,” Ryan said. “Bao-san, Oribana-san, this is my boss, Takanashi Kiara.”

“Ah, a phoenix,” Bao smiled. “I haven’t seen one of your kind in millennia.”

“Unfortunately, I’m the last of my kind,” Kiara’s face slumped, her tone sad. “At least until that one girl from Reine-chan’s dimension showed up.”

“I see,” Bao sat down, giving Kiara an understanding look. “I understand how you feel. I too am the last of my species. The evil gods wiped my kind out a couple weeks before the War in Heaven.”

“Now that I think of it, I think I’ve heard your name before,” Kiara said, looking upwards to the ceiling in thought. “I think Gura said you name a couple times.”

“Gura’s here?!” Bao exclaimed, her face rising and her eyes sparkling. “I haven’t seen her in _ages_! Where is she?”

“If you want, I can call her while Tenchou makes your food,” Ryan offered. “Maybe you’ll meet her wife too.”

“She has a _wife_?!” Bao squealed, turning to Ryan, stars in her eyes. “Oh, I’m so proud of my little shark!”

“Er… I’ll go outside to call her,” Ryan said, hastily leaving before Bao could go off on him about her “little apex predator”.

Ryan dialed Amelia’s number and put the phone to his ear.

“Oh, Ryan! Thank god!” Amelia immediately answered the phone, heavily panting. “Help me convince Gura that I shouldn’t be ground pounding her!”

“C’mon, Watson!” Gura shouted in the distance. “We’re _married_! Ground pounding is what married couples _do_!”

“You’re still too pure!” Watson shot back. “Gah!”

“Put me on speaker,” Ryan grumbled as he heard the sound of two bodies thud.

“Alright, you’re o- gah! Get off, Gura!” Amelia said before the sound of glass shattering could be heard from the other side of the phone.

“Gura, this lady named Bao-san is looking for you,” Ryan said. “Come to the KFP.”

“Bao-sensei’s here?!” Gura squealed. “Amelia let’s go! My sensei is here!”

“What- gah!” Ryan could only assume that Amelia was being dragged away. “Ryan! Help!”

“Sorry, but you’re on your own,” Ryan snickered as she continued to shout in protest.

“I’ll get you for-,” Amelia was cut off when Ryan hung up the phone.

“Oh, I’m getting hell for this,” Ryan said, a huge smile in his face before walking back into the restaurant.

-

“RYAN!” Amelia stormed into the restaurant a few minutes after Ryan hung up the phone. She stomped down and pointed at him, much to the confusion of others. “You abandoned me!”

“Hey, maybe if you screwed your wife, then you would have less problems,” Ryan offered her a shrug.

“You…” Amelia clenched her fist, a tick mark appearing on her forehead.

“Bao-sensei!” Gura ran past Amelia, tackling the deity into a hug.

“Gura!” Bao squeezed the small shark, a genuine smile on her face. “Your magic has grown a lot! Your height, though…”

“Hey!” Gura pouted.

“I would make a joke, but it would have come up short,” Bao shrugged, causing Gura to groan.

“Oh god they’re two of them,” Ryan groaned in defeat.

“Sensei…” Gura whined, giving her sensei baby shark eyes. “You’re so mean.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your special someone?” Bao wagged her eyebrows at Gura.

“Ah!” Gura jumped off and ran to Amelia, pushing her towards her sensei with an enthusiastic look. “Ame, this is Bao-sensei! She taught me back when I was a baby shark!”

“Thank you for teaching my little Apex Predator to be such an adorable bean.” Amelia politely smiled to the whale deity.

“You better be treating her well,” Bao gave Amelia a menacing smile.

“Ame treats me really well!” Gura smiled, shooting her arms up excitedly. “Except for the fact that she won’t ground pound me.”

“Ah, how my little shark has grown up,” Bao pat her head before looking to Amelia.

“Do you think I can ground pound this bean?” She pointed at Gura.

“I guess you have a point,” Bao sighed.

“It’s nice to see you again, Gura-sama,” Makuro offered Gura a sweet smile. Gura then tackled the killer whale in a huge hug.

“Makuro-chan!” Gura cheered, looking at the girl who was roughly her size. “I’ve missed you so much! Also, I’ve told you not to call me that! We’re friends!”

“Whatever you say, Gura-sama,” Makuro chuckled lightly as Gura pouted. “I’ve missed you.”

“Who’s this?” Amelia walked over, putting a hand on Gura’s head.

“Ah, Makuro-chan was my classmate!” Gura smiled. “We’re besties!”

“Mou, Gura-sama,” Makuro’s face blushed as Gura wrapped her arm around the killer whale. “You’re embarrassing me in front of you wife!”

“Eh, it’s fine!” Amelia waved her hand dismissively, her smile only widening. “Gura only looks cuter this way, so it’s fine.”

“Amelia-san!” Makuro squirmed in Gura’s grasp.

“Bao-sensei! Let me show you around the city!” Gura ran over and grabbed Bao’s arm, tugging on it.

“Whatever you want,” Bao smiled softly as she let the shark drag her out of the restaurant.

“Wait!” Makuro ran off, following the two out of the restaurant.

“I guess I’ll go follow them,” Amelia sighed, turning to Ryan. “I guess it was nice seeing you again. Now if you excuse me, I think I need to make sure the love of my life doesn’t spend half of our joined savings in one day.”

Ryan waved as Amelia walked off. “Now what?” Ryan asked.

“Hmmm… maybe we’ll find you a girlfriend,” Kiara said. “We were talking about it yesterday, huh?”

“Absolutely not,” Ryan grumbled.

“Why?” Kiara asked innocently. “Do you want a boyfriend?”

“It’s not that!” Ryan slammed the counter softly in a pout. “Just… isn’t it kind of awkward for my boss to be my wingman…?”

“Absolutely not!” Kiara said, slapping Ryan’s back. “I’ll let you off for today, but it’ll happen one day.”

“Great,” Ryan grumbled. This was going to be the death of him.

-

“So, when are you going to go down there?” Storm asked, standing next to Grimm. “They think you’re dead, you know.”

“I know,” Grimm nodded, sighing. “Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day after. I honestly have no idea. I really want to see them. They’re my students. But… I’m not sure if I’m truly ready to see them.”

“I understand,” Storm put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, offering him a knowing smile. “Ryan thinks I’m a complete ass. I know Edhas knows better, but it still hurts, you know? I know I’m not supposed to have emotions as the herald, but I still do.”

“Yeah, I guess we weren’t dealt the best hand, but we still have to play,” Grimm chuckled dryly. “Still, I can’t wait to see how much they’ve grown.”

“They’ve grown a lot, I promise you that,” Storm said, looking at the infinite blackness before them. “Edhas was... damaged by what happened, but he’s healing. I feel that Ryan and Kiara are helping him grow a lot.”

“I see Kiara’s been really helping Ryan out,” Grimm smiled. “I have to thank her properly when I come to the real world. She’s been a blessing.”

“That she has been,” Storm smiled.

-

Fubuki walked through a snowy forest, humming her original song. Suddenly, she stepped into a pothole, falling into it. “Hey!” She yelped, looking up at the hole.

“Oh my gosh!” A wolf girl with snow white hair and ears popped her head from the top of the hole. “Fubuki-san, is that you?!”

“Lumi-chan!” Fubuki cheered. “I was looking for you!”

“Why were you looking for me-awoo?” Lumi asked as Fubuki floated up from the pothole, white jets firing from her feet, melting the snow around her feet as she landed.

“My friend opened up a restaurant and I wanted you to come with me!” Fubuki cheered.

“I would love to-awoo!” Lumi cheered, giving her ~~cat~~ fox a big hug. “Let me call Merry! I’m sure he’d love to come!”

-

Merryweather took his navy hat off as he entered his bunker, letting his dog ears twitch, letting them stretch a bit. Having his ears hidden was really a pain. Even if the world was in a time of peace, he still liked to keep his true identity hidden, just in case. He put the hat next to his phone, which suddenly started ringing, showing a picture of his cousin, Lumi posing with him.

“Hello?” Merry asked. It was odd for Lumi to call him, since she lives in the forest. She would have to exit the forest to call anyone.

“Merry! Fubuki-san and I are going to be going to a restaurant! Do you want to come-awoo?” Lumi cheered excitedly.

“I mean, if it got you out of the forest, then I would love to come,” Merry smiled softly.

“Hey!” Lumi pouted. “Whatever. Anyways, it’ll take us a few days to get to Japan, but I’ll call you again when we get there.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon,” Merry said as he hung up the phone, smiling. Maybe it finally was time for a break.

-

Somewhere, in the deep depths of the planet, the earth shook. A dark and menacing aura flowed through the cave as two evil eyes opened. An ancient beast has awoken, and she wants you to have a nice day.

-

**Day 9: Canning Stereotypes**

Inugami Korone was a very carefree person. She did what she want, when she wanted, and she got whatever she wanted. Yubis? She got them. Soap? Absolutely not. This very well may be the first time that Korone has been worried in her life. She laid in her bed, looking at the onigiri shaped box, sweat beading down her face. “Today is the day,” she said to herself, trying her best to give a determined look. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in looking like an angry puppy. She doesn’t need to know that. “Today is the day.”

She sat up, giving the box one last look before pocketing it in her yellow jacket. She sighed as she beaded the sweat from her face. She needed to relax. Something to do. Something to mentally prepare herself before she made the most important decision of her life.

“Ah, I know! I should talk to Kiara-chan!” Korone chirped. Since she was recently married, she could ask her what she did. “To KFP!”

As she stood up, the phone rang. Korone picked up her phone, putting it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Koro-san,” At the sound of Okayu’s voice, Korone blanched. Usually, Korone would jump for joy, but right now, Okayu was the _last_ person who Korone wanted to see. “I was headed to KFP today to check up on Ryan. I haven’t seen him since he got shot in the head, and I thought it would be rude not to check on him. Would you like to come?”

“O-of course, Okayu!” Korone tried to hide the nervousness in her voice but failed considerably. She didn’t want to see Okayu at that moment, but she _never_ turned down Okayu. She would get suspicious. Plus, who _wouldn’t_ want to hang out with Okayu?

“Are you okay, Koro-san?” Okayu obviously noticed Korone’s distressed, as they have known each other and have been dating for years. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine!” Korone assured her. “I’ll see you there soon!”

Korone hung up the phone, panting heavily. _Can I do this?_ She asked herself. _No, I can’t ask myself that question. I_ have _to do this. For me. For_ us _._

Korone stood up, the angry/determined puppy look back on her face. It was time to go. It was now or never.

-

Okayu looked at her phone as Korone hung up on her. Something was obviously wrong. Korone _never_ acted like this. Thoughts flew through her head. Was she cheating? No, Korone’s a dog girl. She’s the most loyal girl ever. Okayu paled as the thoughts in her head got progressively worse. Was she abused? Manipulated? Taken advantage of? A bead of sweat dripped down Okayu’s forehead. _I_ will _get to the bottom of this, whatever this is,_ Determination flared in Okayu’s eyes as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. _For me. For_ us _._

-

Korone walked into the KFP and saw Kiara and Ryan casually chatting. “No, Tenchou,” Ryan said. “I will _not_ go to a ‘Get Ryan a Girlfriend’ event on Saturday. That’s just ridiculous.”

“But Ryan,” Kiara whined. “It’ll be fun… and you’ll get a girlfriend!”

As Korone knew both of them didn’t realize she was there, she decided to get their attention. “Yubi Yubi!” She exclaimed, catching both of them off guard. Ryan’s face immediately paled. Korone never knew why Ryan was so scared of her, but it made sense, considering her finger stealing record.

“Morning Inugami-san,” Ryan said, his face slowly returning to normal.

“Korone-senpai!” Kiara cheered. “How are things? It’s been a while! How are things going with Okayu-senpai?”

“Uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Korone shuffled uncomfortably as she sat down. Both Ryan and Kiara’s face instantly contorted with worry. Everyone thought that nothing could get Korone down or even nervous, but to see her like this proved that myth wrong. She took out her onigiri box.

“Oh my god!” Kiara squealed. “I can’t believe you’re doing that!”

“Doing what?” Korone jumped, shoving the box into her pocket as she heard Okayu’s voice. She turned around, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

“Morning, Okayu!” Korone cheered, trying very hard to stay calm, which she could not do at the moment.

“Did I make you wait?” Okayu walked over, giving Korone a hug.

“No, you’re fine,” Korone replied. Okayu pulled away and gave Korone a worried look, which only succeeded in causing Korone to panic more.

“Koro-san, you’re shaking,” Okayu said, her voice dripping with concern. “Are you really okay? You were acting weird on the phone.”

“Was I?” Korone was freaking out at this point. She rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously. “I don’t remember.”

“Koro-san, you can talk to me,” Tears were forming in Okayu’s eyes as she gripped Korone’s shoulders with her hands as she looked her lover in the eye. “ _Please_ talk to me, Koro-san.”

Korone wanted nothing more than to burst into tears and hug Okayu, telling her that nothing was wrong. She felt _horrible_ making Okayu worry over something that was really positive. “Senpai?” Both Korone and Okayu turned when they heard Kiara’s voice. Kiara didn’t say anything. All she did was give Korone an affirming not.

“Koro-san, does Kiara know something?” Okayu asked, a hint of betrayal of her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s because this has to do with you,” Korone said. This wasn’t exactly the ideal place to do what she wanted to do, but it was now or never, considering the circumstances. “I need to ask you a very important question.”

“You can ask me anything, Koro-san,” Okayu said, too worried to infer what Korone was going to ask. “You know this.”

Korone took in a shaky breath and lowered herself down onto one knee as she dug her hand in her jacket pocket. She took out her onigiri box and opened it, revealing a silver onigiri ring. The seaweed was represented by a beautiful onyx gem and the rice was represented by a bunch of little diamonds that sparkled in the light. “Okayu, will you marry me?”

-

 _What. The. Fuck,_ Ryan thought. Out of ALL the places that you can propose to someone, Korone decided to propose in a KFP? Really?

 _“Man, that needs to be you someday,”_ Edhas said.

 _Shut up. This is an emotional moment,_ Ryan said as he watched the scene unfold. Okayu gasped with her hands over her mouth. Instead of wiping the tears in her eyes, they started to flow down her cheeks.

“Koro-san…” Okayu managed, holding back sobs. “Are you sure about this? This is a huge decision.”

“I’m very sure,” Ryan knew that Korone was trying her hardest not to cry. “I love you so much, Okayu. More than anything in the world. I love you more than I love yubis.”

“Then of course I will marry you,” Okayu said, unable to hold back her sobs.

“Okayu!” Korone jumped up, tackling her new fiancée in a hug, now openly sobbing. “I love you!”

“I love you too, Koro-san,” Okayu hugged her back, the normally laid-back cat girl crying tears of joy. “I’m so happy that you asked me.”

“Me too, Okayu,” Korone said, sniffling. “Me too.”

-

It took a while for the two to calm down, which Ryan understood. Ryan and Kiara gave them tissues and head pats in hopes to help comfort them. “I’m so happy!” Korone exclaimed, hugging her new fiancée. Okayu had her arm outstretched, admiring the new onigiri ring on her finger.

“I want to eat it,” Okayu said, drooling slightly with sparkles in her eyes.

“Actually, I prepared some celebratory onigiri for you!” Kiara said, presenting a huge plate of onigiri.

“Really?!” Okayu sat down in front of the big plate, shoveling down the rice balls like a starved lion or Marine consuming doujinshu.

“And some yubis for you!” Kiara put a plate of similar size to Okayu’s with friend human fingers.

“Yubi yubi!” Korone cheered, plopping down and wolfing down the fingers just as fast, if not faster than Okayu eating the rice balls.

“Koro-san, we need to get you a ring!” Okayu said, stuffing the last rice ball into her mouth.

“You’re right!” Korone jumped up, a finger sticking out of her mouth. “Let’s go Okayu!”

The two ran off, their mouths still full. “You know,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, a huge smile on his face. “I would complain about them not paying, but I’ll let them go. Just this once.”

-

“Moona?” Iofi walked along the surface of the moon, looking back and forth. “Where are you?”

“Iofi?” Moona appeared a few feet behind her, a befuddled expression on her face. “You never come visit me here. You could have just called me, you know.”

“I know, but I wanted this to be special, so I decided to come here,” Iofi smiled at her lover*. “We really need to talk.”

“What do you need?” Moona asked, hiding her worry. In reality, Iofi could want to talk about anything. Was her affection towards Pekora causing Iofi distress? Moona loved Iofi but didn’t want to give up her best friend and CEO.

“Hoshinova Moona,” Iofi walked towards Moona until she was only a few inches away from Moona. She then slowly dropped to one knee, splotches of paint gently floating off of her overalls. The balls of paint started to fuse together, creating a small light. Moona looked away as the light intensified, shielding her eyes with her hands. As the light dimmed, Moona looked back and audibly gasped when she saw a beautiful golden ring, small diamonds forming the shape of a crescent moon. “Will you marry me?”

-

Kiara sighed as she watched Ryan left the building. “What am I going to do with that boy?” She asked herself, massaging her temples. She walked over to the break room and pressed a hidden button in one of the cupboards. With a hiss, a notebook revealed itself in the hidden compartment. Kiara took out the notebook and started reading it. It had the names of all the hololive and holostars idols, as well as anyone else who has walked into the restaurant with check marks and ‘x’es marked next to their name. She took out her phone and dialed a number.

“Moshi moshi~?” Marine’s voice was heard on the other side of the phone. “What do you need, Kiara-chan?”

“Senchou!” Kiara cheered. “You see, I’m trying to hook Ryan up, and I really need your help.”

-

Ryan sighed as he flopped on his bed. He still felt really bad about what happened with Sabrina, but he didn’t know if it was the right time to talk to her.

 _“I don’t think you should, Ryan,”_ Edhas said as Ryan sighed. _“When Sabrina wants to talk to you, she’ll come to you herself.”_

 _Whatever you say,_ Ryan said, sighing as he closed his eyes. Maybe a nap would clear his head.

 _“Maybe Kiara is on to something,”_ Edhas pondered. _“You should probably go get a girlfriend.”_

 _You’re an idiot,_ Ryan grumbled as he slowly let himself drift off into sleep.

-

“Are you ready to go?” Storm asked, looking at Grimm, who was washed up with a new, black robe and a new scythe, its outline black and orange and the blade made of a green plasma, not unlike Kiara’s sword and shield.

“Yeah,” Grimm said, cracking his neck, opening a portal. “I’ll see you soon.”

Storm waved as Grimm walked into the portal. “Good luck, big bro.”

-

Grimm walked out of the portal, instantly deducing that he was in a very familiar alley in Japan: the alley that Ryan and Edhas walk through every day to go to work. “My students,” Grimm started, the corner of his lip curving upwards in a smirk. “I have returned.”

-

Day 10: Till Death Brings Us Together

 _“No way this is happening,”_ Edhas said in Ryan’s head, his voice full of genuine disbelief.

 _No way what’s happening?_ Ryan asked as he exited his apartment complex. He immediately tensed up. If a whale deity didn’t faze him, then something that did was definitely scary.

 _“Nothing,”_ Edhas said, his voice shaking. _“I’m probably just feeling things. I_ have _to be feeling things.”_

 _You know you can talk to me,_ Ryan said. He and Edhas have become somewhat closer to the point where Ryan would consider his other half a friend. Whether or not Edhas felt the same was up for debate though.

 _“Well…”_ Edhas faltered, the shake in his voice not fading. _“I thought I felt the presence of my sensei.”_

-

“I love you too, Calli,” Kiara said, giving her wife a kiss on the lips.

“Tenchou, what have I said about making out on the clock?” Ryan said as he entered the building.

“What the fuck?!” Calli spun around, swinging her scythe at him, blade of darkness launching itself towards the “peeper”.

“Calliope-san,” Ryan sighed, dismissing the blade by cutting through it with his hand. “Please stop trying to kill people while you’re in here.”

“Ryan,” Kiara whined, crossing her arms in a pout. “We’ve been over barging in on our make out sessions.”

“That only applies when the restaurant is closed,” Ryan said.

“So, how have things been back at home?” Calli asked. “I haven’t been keeping track of you since you’ve apparently cheated death twice.”

“Wow, I feel so special,” Ryan muttered under his breath as he used his magic to change his uniform. “Things have been going good. Sabrina’s here in Japan now, along with some demon named Ironmouse.”

“Oh, I remember her,” Calli shuddered. “She chased me around for a good couple hundred years back in the underworld. Let’s just hope she doesn’t see me again.”

“Apparently, she’s moved on to me,” Ryan grumbled, a shiver creeping up his spine.

“No one will take my little egg’s chastity away!” Kiara declared, holding up a chicken leg as if it were a weapon.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Ryan sighed.

“You really shouldn’t,” A man burst through the doors with a black and orange scythe, its blade green like Kiara’s plasma sword. “He’s _my_ little egg.”

“Sensei/ _Sensei?_!” Calli and Edhas exclaimed at once, despite not being able to hear each other. Calli jumped up, twirling her scythe until she was pointing the scythe at the tall man. The man fixated his crimson eyes at Calli’s scythe before he moved them to meet Calli’s crimson eyes.

“Who the fuck are you?!” Calli shouted, twirling her scythe to slice the man in half, but the man stopped it, letting the scythe clash with his index finger, black energy emanating from the clash.

“You know who I am, Callope Mori,” The man gave Calli a small smile.

 _“Give me control,”_ Ryan didn’t even have time to react to Edhas’s command before Edhas pulled his consciousness to the back burner.

“Grimm!” Edhas roared as he vaulted over the counted faster than anyone’s eyes can see. With a gust of wind, Edhas was next to the man, his signature onyx blade at his throat.

“It’s nice to see you’re alive, Edhas,” the man, Grimm looked at Edhas, a soft smile on his face, despite the scythe inches from his skull and the sword one slice away from killing the man.

“Why did you leave me the way you did?” Edhas’s voice broke as tears formed from his eyes. “You left me alone”

“You know I didn’t want to leave you like that,” Grimm said softly as Calli retracted her scythe, thoroughly confused with the whole situation. “But I’m back now.”

Edhas dropped the sword, letting it fade into mist as he tackled Grimm into a hug, burying his face in his shoulders. “I missed you, Grimm.”

“I missed you too, Edhas,” Grimm replied as he wrapped his arms around his student. “It’s been too long.”

-

“So, you know Death-sensei?” Calli asked. It took a few minutes, but eventually Edhas found himself on the other side of the counter. Ryan was graceful enough to let Edhas continue to borrow his body so he could talk with this his teacher.

“Edhas here was my combat student back in my masked mages days,” Grimm replied, munching on a chicken leg. “Man, this is pretty good. I never thought you would never learn how to cook.”

“You were in the masked mages?!” Calli exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table.

“It was actually my other half that cooked these things,” Edhas said. “He’s shit at fighting, but he’s good for doing chores.”

 _“Hey!”_ Ryan shouted in Edhas’s head.

“Sensei*, what’s with the cool new scythe?” Kiara asked.

“Since I now technically reside in the phoenix dimension, my scythe is now tied to it instead of the underworld,” Grimm said, looking at his scythe.

“Stop ignoring me!” Calli demanded, shooting everyone a glare.

“So, I see you two got married,” Grimm noticed the ring. “Congratulations. I wish I could have been there.”

“You would have been the best man for sure,” Kiara laughed. “Calli was talking about you the day of. Said she missed you so much~,”

“Shut up, Kusotori-,” Calli stopped herself when Kiara gave her a glare. “I mean my beautiful fire bird…”

“That’s better,” Kiara smiled sweetly as she tossed a chicken leg up, catching it before taking a bite.

“Some things never change I guess,” Grimm chuckled to himself.

“You never told me you had another student, though,” Calli shot Grimm a glare, her arms crossed in a pout. “Bet I can kick his ass.”

“Doubt it,” Edhas chuckled. “You’re welcome to try, though.”

 _“No fighting in this establishment,”_ Ryan said, shooting a wave of pain into Edhas’s head, causing him to keep over.

 _Killjoy,_ Edhas grumbled.

“You alright?” Grimm asked, his face written with worry.

“Yeah,” Edhas sighed, waving his hand dismissively. “My other half says that he doesn’t want us to fight in here.”

“Ryan’s no fun,” Calli pouted.

“At least I can rely on him not to let the restaurant explode,” Kiara smiled sheepishly.

 _“Because_ someone _is incapable of doing that herself,”_ Ryan said.

 _You know what? You can stop your bitching,_ Edhas grumbled, forcing his outward smile.

“I thought you were trapped in the phoenix dimension,” Kiara said, putting a finger on her chin. “How were you able to get out?”

“I don’t exactly know, but I’m a resident of the void now. My ‘soul’ is still tied to the phoenix dimension, but I don’t reside there anymore,” Grimm said, scratching his head. “I now hang out in the void with Aloe and Storm.”

“Oh yeah,” Something clicked in Edhas’s head. “Aloe mentioned some Froot person. Apparently, she’s a lich or something. Can you talk to Storm and see if they can meet or something?”

“Sure, but why?” Grimm asked. “It’s not like you to do favors for strangers.”

“I don’t know,” Edhas admitted. “Honestly, I just want to get her off my back. I mean, she threatened to eradicate me the first time we met, so I guess I can save myself the hassle if I end up doing her a favor.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Grimm said. “I’ll probably be dropping by a lot more, but my time here is limited.”

“I see,” Calli stood up with Grimm, looking each other in the eyes. Calli then pulled the man into a hug. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, little reaper,” Grimm smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I told you not to call me that!” Calli pushed him away, her face beet red.

“A lot of things may have changed since I’ve seen you last, but that won’t,” Grimm said as a black fire enveloped him. “That’s a promise.”

With that, the black fire completely enveloped him. When the black fire subsided, Grimm was gone.

 _“Can I have my body back now?”_ Ryan asked rudely.

 _Whatever,_ Edhas grumbled as he relinquished control of the body.

-

“Hey bro,” Grimm said as he crossed back into the void.

“What’s up, Grimm?” Storm asked, putting his mask on.

“Is it possible for Aloe to go to the living world tomorrow?” Grimm twirled his scythe around casually, looking off into the distance.

“I heard my name?” With a flash of light, Aloe appeared next to the two mages.

“I’m asking Storm if you can go see Froot tomorrow,” Grimm said. “Edhas wanted me to do it so Froot would get off his back.”

“Ah, I see,” Aloe smiled. “It would be nice to see her again.”

“Let me consult the void first,” Storm concentrated for a second. He concentrated, standing still in silence before turning to Aloe. “The void permits your visit.”

“Yes!” Aloe cheered, shooting her hand in the air. “Can I meet her at the KFP?”

“I’ll arrange for that to be so,” Grimm said. With a torrent of black flames, he was gone.

-

“I’m not a succubus,” Froot reminded herself as she drew a summoning circle. She was, in fact, not a succubus. “I’m not a succubus.”

She decided that she was actually going to summon succubus to bring on stream to prove that she was not, in fact, a succubus. Plus, a little bit of succubus thighs couldn’t hurt, right? She started to chant as the souls she had collected through twitch subscriptions started to flow out of the amulet on her chest and into the circle. She shielded her eyes as the light the magic circle started to emanate intensified.

“Ah, that was convenient,” Froot was startled when she heard a man’s voice instead of a woman’s voice. Did she draw the wrong circle? The summoning circle to summon an incubus was not all too different for one that summoned a succubus. She turned to see a man easily over six feet tall with a black robe covering most of his body. His hair was neatly combed back and his eyes flashed crimson. He held a black and orange scythe, but the blade was made of something not unlike green concentrated plasma. “Ah, sorry for hijacking you summoning ritual.”

“You’re not the succubus I ordered!” Froot shouted, pointing at the man. “That cost fifty souls you asshole!”

“Ah, your succubus was delayed,” The man said. “Go to the magical KFP tomorrow and you’ll see her.”

“What do you mean delayed?!” A soul flowed into her arm as she shot out a beam of concentrated soul magic. “That’s not how this stuff works!”

“Well, that’s how _my_ summoning rituals work,” The man swatted the beam aside as if it were nothing but a glowing fly. “Just take my word for it, okay?”

“It’s not like I have much choice,” Froot grumbled. “What magic KFP?”

“Now you’re getting it!” The man clasped his hands together, a bright smile on his face. “There is only one magical KFP.” With a torrent of black flames, he was gone.

“What was that?” Froot asked herself.

-

**Day 11: Back from the Dead**

“Oh, it’s you again,” Ryan grumbled as Froot walked up to him.

“Ryan Shade,” Froot stopped in front of him. Ryan was fixated on her fang. Do humans have fangs like that? He’s seen them a couple times, but never with a human. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m walking to work,” Ryan sighed. “Look, you don’t have to be so defensive. What are you doing here?”

“I was told to go to the magical KFP to meet my… contract,” Froot shuffled nervously, not wanting to talk about the nature of her summoning contract.

“Eh, that’s where I work,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “Do you want to walk with me?”

“You work there?” Froot asked.

 _I thought someone with an aura like that would be an aspiring warlord or something,_ Froot pondered. Ryan’s aura was like a strong gate with a monster behind it. Ryan’s aura was strong, no doubt, but she could sense the monster behind it. Whenever she pried under the veil behind Ryan’s aura, she saw the beast behind it. It was something that Froot had never seen before, even in the eldritch horror known as Nyatasha Nyanners.

“Well, how else am I supposed to earn money?” Ryan chuckled. “It’s not like I’m going to take the world or something.”

“Fine, whatever,” Froot sighs.

“Do you need me to lead the way?” Ryan offered. Froot didn’t know _how_ he was still so patient with her considering she threatened his life the first time she met him, but she might as well make good on his kindness.

“Fine,” Froot says as she follows Ryan down an alleyway.

-

“Froot!” Hearing Aloe’s voice certainly surprised Froot when she walked in. The succubus-in-training tackled the lich in a hug faster than she could react.

“Aloe?!” Froot exclaimed in disbelief. She was dead, right? Mousey said that she saw her, but that couldn’t be right. No matter how many souls she pumped into a ritual, her old friend wouldn’t come back to life. “Is that really you?”

“Yep!” Aloe pulled away, her hands on Froot’s shoulders and smiled brightly, looking the lich girl up and down. “You’ve gotten so strong! I’m so proud of you!”

“Wait,” Froot pushed away Aloe’s hands, looking confused. “Where were you all this time? I thought you were dead.”

“Ah, it’s a long story,” Aloe rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, adjusting her headphones. “I’m technically dead, but my soul was claimed by another force before my soul could transfer to the afterlife. A friend called in a favor so I can see you again. I already saw Mousey, but I really wanted to see you as well.”

“Who is this friend of yours?” Froot asked. “I want to thank them.”

“Right here,” Froot turned when Ryan raised his hand casually, his eyes glowing purple. The dark aura permeated from his being, but it was heavily restrained, though if Froot was to try to identify this person from magic power alone, she would have guessed that this person was a different person from Ryan altogether.

“Ryan?” Froot jumped back, her muscles tense. He may be suppressing his magic power, but if he decided to go all out, they would probably have a fight on their hands.

“Name’s Edhas,” The man said. “I’m currently borrowing Ryan’s body right now, since you asked who called in the favor.”

“Are you the thing I keep feeling under Ryan’s aura?” Froot asked, still tense.

“Yeah,” Edhas said. “I’m kind of like an alternate personality or something. For some reason, our magic is split up, but that’s whatever. I’m not planning on doing something evil, though. Ryan would kick the shit out of me.”

“Alright,” Froot started to relax.

“What did I miss?” Kiara walked out of the break room, pulling Calli along with her. Kiara was all bright and cheery, but Calli was blushing profusely, sweat pouring down her face.

Froot shuddered as the purple glint in Edhas’s eyes faded, returning to normal, but the murderous aura increased tenfold. “Tenchou…” Ryan growled, causing Kiara to stiffen.

“Y-yes, my little egg…?” Kiara stepped back. “What do you need…?”

“What did I tell you about ground pounding in the break room…?” Ryan cracked his knuckles, causing the manager to stiffen.

“Is this normal?” Froot turned to Aloe as Kiara ran, Ryan sprinting after her.

“Yep,” Aloe and Calli said at the same time.

-

 _You know, it’s polite to ask before stealing one’s body,_ Ryan grumbled as he made his way back to the counter.

 _“Hey, she asked,”_ Edhas defended. To be fair, she did.

 _Whatever,_ Ryan grumbled, looking to a beaten and bloodied Kiara behind him.

“Get over it,” Ryan said coldly. “That’s what you get for ground pounding in the break room.”

“Yes, Ryan,” Kiara whimpered, looking like a wounded puppy.

“What would you two like to have?” Ryan asked the lich and the succubus, who were chatting casually. Calli had long since left. A lich, an undead succubus didn’t make the best company for the incarnation of death itself.

“Do you have that bento box recipe that Storm gave you a while back?” Aloe asked, which Ryan nodded. “I’ll have one of those, please.”

“I’ll have one too!” Froot raised her hand, smiling cutely. “Can I have some tea as well?”

 _-100 critical hit!_ Ryan forced a smile, nodding before heading to the back. He got the notebook from the break room before heading to the back.

 _“Who knew the lich could be that cute?”_ Edhas asked. _“You should hook up with her.”_

 _Absolutely not,_ Ryan said.

 _“How can a dolt like you be blessed with such cute girls?”_ Edhas sighed. _“Man, I totally wish the roles were reversed right now.”_

 _I refuse to let you flirt with my friends,_ Ryan said as he wrapped seaweed around little balls of rice. _They’re too pure for you._

 _“Says you,”_ Edhas grumbled as Ryan grabbed a bento box to organize the food.

 _Do you know the meaning of an emotional connection?_ Ryan asked as he closed the bento box and got started on the next one.

 _“I mean, yeah, but look at them,”_ Edhas flashed images of all the people Ryan had met since he got hired at KFP. _“Their personalities are just as cute as their appearances.”_

 _Sure, but you’re not convincing me,_ Ryan said as he finished the second bento box. He walked out, a smile on his face as he placed the two boxes in front of his customers. As Aloe liked to do, he color-coded his bento boxes. He gave Froot a minty-green bento box, the color matching her green hair and Aloe a dark pink bento box, almost purple.

“Enjoy your meals,” Ryan offered a sweet smile as he placed his arms in front of him in a polite expression.

“Wow, you did surprisingly well on this,” Aloe said as she opened the box. “Almost as good as I would have made them.”

“I’m honored by your words,” Ryan said. He’s heard Kiara talk about Aloe’s cooking enough to know that she’s a top-grade chief.

“Wow!” Froot stuffed an onigiri into her mouth, her eyes sparkling. “This is so good!”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied by my cooking,” Ryan said, smiling.

“Hey, where’s mine?!” Kiara pouted.

“I’ll make you one after work,” Ryan promised. He noticed Kiara was fully healed. He shrugged it off. He felt bad kicking the crap out of his boss, but she needed to learn that there was a time and place for everything, and the break room wasn’t the time to be ground pounding her wife, especially while she was on the clock. “For now, you’re on the clock.”

“Fine,” Kiara pouted. “I’ll allow it, just this once.”

“Whatever you say, Tenchou,” Ryan said, smiling softly.

-

“I guess the void is calling me back” Aloe sighed. “I got lucky, but I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“I’m just happy that I got to see you again,” Froot said. “Well worth the fifty souls I used for the summoning ritual.”

“You know, since you technically summoned Grimm with those souls, you basically wasted them,” Aloe said. “I would have been here either way.”

“What?!” Froot exclaimed, but by the time she registered what happened, Aloe was gone, blown away in a black mist.

“I mean, you summoned death itself to send a message,” Ryan said. “That must check out for _something_.”

“That man was death?!” Froot exclaimed.

“Well, he _was_ death,” Ryan said. “At least, I think. He’s doing other things now, I guess.”

“I…” Froot grabbed her forehead. “I think I need a minute.”

“Feel free to come back whenever you feel,” Ryan smiled softly. Froot nodded, forcing a smile before walking out in a daze.

“Now, where’s my bento box?” Kiara asked, pouting at her employee.

“Coming right up, Tenchou…” Ryan mumbled, sighing as he made his way to the back.

-

“Ah, Senchou!” Kiara chirped as the pirate captain walked in. It’s been a good half-hour since Ryan had left, and Kiara was preparing something special for her employee.

“Ohayo, Kiara-chan!” Marine sat at the counter as Kiara placed a notebook on the counter. Marine picked up the notebook and started to flip through it. “You’re pretty good at this.”

“What can I say?” Kiara asked. “This is for the good of my employee.”

“I’m sure he would have something to say about that if he was here,” Marine said, closing the notebook.

“He’ll come around eventually,” Kiara smiled. “So, what do you think?”

“Give him a couple more days,” Marine said. “We still need to prepare everything.”

“That’s alright,” Kiara said. “Thank you, Senchou. You’re a lifesaver.”

“No problem, Kiara-chan,” Marine smiled at her kouhai. “He _did_ save our asses back in China. I guess we owe him this much.”

-

“Ah, that was fun,” Aloe said as she appeared back into the void.

“Aloe,” Storm said, his mask on. “How are the things back on earth?”

“A bunch of stronger beings are congregating around the KFP,” Aloe replied. “I don’t know if people are attracted to Ryan, or if they’re attracted to the KFP.”

“I see,” Storm rubbed his chin. “Just like the void predicted.”

“The void predicted this?” Aloe asked.

“Yep,” with a torrent of black flames, Grimm appeared. “A lot of changes are coming.”

“That is true,” Storm said. “Though we are in a time of peace, there is a lot of room for excitement.”

-

“You sure about this, Zen?” A cybernetic dragon and a red dragon flew over the ocean. “I know Mousey and Froot are there, but the place can’t be _that_ good.”

“Does it matter?” The red dragon, Zen replied. “Someone _strong_ will be there. Maybe this could finally be the challenge we’ve been looking for, Hime.”

“Whatever you say,” Blue electricity crackled from the cybernetic dragon’s eyes as they continued their flight through the sea.

-

Miko was sweeping the floors of her shine, humming to herself. She looked up when the Sakura leaves flowed in the wind, revealing a wolf girl with headphones and blue and pink hair.

“Ah, this place reminds me of my tree back home,” The wolf girl said, smiling softly.

“Who are you?” Miko asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” The wolf girl bowed slightly before looking up, a warm smile on her face. “My name is Silvervale!”

-

Sabrina was tapping away on her phone. “Damnit!” She threw her phone at the wall, shooting a fireball at it. As it was reduced to a heaping pile of junk, she sighed, shaking her head. “Stupid rhythm games.”

At that moment, the doors flew open. “The world has changed since I was sealed,” Sabrina heard a voice. Sabrina turned to see a girl with pink hair and cat ears. The girl turned her attention to her. “I sense Mousey’s presence on you. Where is she?”

“Who are you?” Sabrina said, tensing up. The aura of this person was no joke. “You should knock next time, though.”

“Doorknobs have always fascinated me,” The girl rubbed her chin. “Say, do you have any toilets?”

“Answer my questions, then I’ll answer yours,” Sabrina let loose her aura, causing the girl to flinch.

“Fine,” the girl relaxed, a classic cat-girl smile washing over her face. “My name is Nyatasha Nyanners.”

-

“Ah, finished!” Reporter said, looking at his brand-new android, tossing a screwdriver. He adjusted his mask, looking proudly at his new creation. “The ultimate magical android! Is capable of changing its appearance and use any spell in my magical library!”

The machine started to power up, its appearances shaping. Reporter jumped back as the body shifted into that of a girl, a blue messy pigtail with purple and pink streaks forming itself. The figure then formed itself a white crop top and black short shorts.

“What the hell?!” Reporter exclaimed. “I didn’t turn it on!”

The android opened its eyes, revealing beautiful, blue eyes. “Sorry for hacking into your android! My name is Projekt Melody!” The android exclaimed, giving Reporter a ‘V’ sign. “Wow, this body is really cool! The stuff I can do with this!”

“Uh, would you mind giving my android back?” Reporter rubbed the back of his neck. “I worked really hard on it.”

“Nope!” Melody closed her eyes. “Oh, everyone’s heading to Japan!” I’ll head there too!”

The android’s feet were replaced by rocket boosters and Melody rocketed off, crashing through the ceiling. “Well, sorry Ryan,” Reporter looked up at the hole in the ceiling, sighing and shaking his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess he’s your problem now.”

-

“I miss my old world, Jam,” Yuni said. She’s stroked the small alicorn’s fur as she laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. “Making friends has been hard.”

 _“What about that one boy?”_ Jam spoke in her mind. _“He seemed nice enough. I could detect something else, though. Something… powerful.”_

“Something _you_ consider powerful?” Yuni asked, looking at her familiar. “Just how strong do you think he is?”

 _“Get me some bread and you’ll find out,”_ Jam said, closing its eyes again.

“Jam-,” Yuni was about to stop the familiar, but it was too late. He was already fast asleep. “I guess the bread thief must rise again.”

-

 _Things have been kind of hectic these past few days,_ Ryan said, flopping on the bed. _We had demons, goddesses, and your own sensei? Things have been eventful._

 _“Things are only going to get more exciting from here,”_ Edhas said matter-of-factly.

 _Why do you think so?_ Ryan asked.

 _“I just have a feeling,”_ Edhas said, excitement oozing from his tone. _“A storm is brewing, and we’ll be in the center of it.”_

-

**Day 12: Toilet Horror**

Ryan opened his eyes, his natural clock getting used to waking him up at the wake of dawn, no matter what time he goes to sleep. He sat up, sighing as he wound up his arms. Kiara had since stopped calling him in the morning as Ryan had gotten good enough at waking up by himself. _Morning, Edhas,_ he thought to himself as he stood up, cracking his back.

 _“What’s with this good morning shit?”_ Edhas asked as Ryan opened his closet, grabbing his favorite pair of black sweatpants. _“You_ never _greet me good morning.”_

 _Can’t I be polite for once in my life?_ Ryan asked his other half, putting on a black hoodie, “Ryan Shade” written across the chest with a slash through it. If Sabrina was going to drop merch of him, he might as well wear it. Plus, Sabrina sent him a free hoodie just because. _Since we’re stuck together, I might as well do the little things, like greet you every morning._

 _“Whatever,”_ Edhas said. If he had a physical body, Ryan would swear that Edhas was crossing his arms and looking away in a pout. _“Just get to work.”_

 _Yes sir,_ Ryan smiled as he grabbed his wallet and phone before walking out the door.

-

“Ah, Hoshimachi-san,” Ryan greeted as he saw the blue-haired girl walking along with someone who looked exactly like her if she had pink hair and pink eyes. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Oh, that was the guy who ran into you a while ago!” The pink-hair girl exclaimed, jumping and pointing a finger at Ryan.

“I don’t remember ever doing that,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Me neither,” Suisei said, looking at her clone. “Anemachi, are you alright?”

“I’m perfectly alright!” The girl, Anemachi pouted at Suisei.

“Ryan, this is my sister, Anemachi,” Suisei introduced. “Anemachi, this is Ryan Shade.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Anemachi-san,” Ryan bowed slightly.

“Woah, I’ve heard about you!” Anemachi exclaimed. “I’ve seen your clips! They’re totally badass!”

“To this day, I still don’t know how the internet got those clips,” Ryan grumbled. “But yes, those clips are of me.”

“You have me to thank for that,” Suisei winked, waving her hand smugly.

“You?!” Ryan exclaimed.

“Well, I think it’s time for us to go, Anemachi!” Suisei grabbed Anemachi’s wrist and ran off before Ryan can react.

“Well that just happened,” Ryan sighed.

_“You should-,”_

_Don’t. Even. Think about it,_ If Ryan could glare at Edhas, he would have.

 _“Fine, whatever,”_ Edhas grumbled as Ryan walked off on his way to work.

-

“Morning Ryan!” Kiara exclaimed as soon as Ryan walked into the restaurant. “How are you today?”

“Edhas is predicting that shit will hit the fan soon, so I’m excited,” Ryan said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“What do you mean by that?” Kiara put a finger on her chin.

“Apparently a bunch of beings are coming here,” Ryan explained. “We’re going to be getting a lot of business from here on out.”

“Really?!” Kiara squealed. “That’s great! I’ve always wanted this restaurant to be really busy!”

“Well, that’s you,” Ryan sighed. “I just want to keep my head on straight, which the chances of that staying true aren’t looking too good.”

“Oh, don’t be such a killjoy!” Kiara ran over, slapping him on the back. “It’ll be fun!”

“I’m sure it will be.” Ryan said as his clothes shimmered before instantly changing to his KFP uniform. “For you.”

“Hey Ryan,” Ryan turned to see Sabrina, cradling a broken arm.

“What the hell?!” Ryan exclaimed, running over to her friend. “What happened?!”

“I had an accident on the toilet,” She chuckled as Ryan started to heal her arm.

“Shut up and let me focus,” Ryan grumbled.

“You know, I remember when I was on the other side of this,” Sabrina giggled, flicking Ryan in the forehead.

“You know, I think I like being on this side of things,” Ryan sighed as he heard a loud pop.

“I could have done that better,” Sabrina said, wincing.

“Well, I’m sorry I still haven’t gotten a hang of the magic that I got less than a year ago,” Ryan grumbled.

“Hello!” The doors burst open, revealing a girl with pink hair and cat ears. Ryan didn’t call her a cat girl because she didn’t have a tail. The girl looked around before locking eyes with Kiara. “I remember you!”

“Nyanners?” Kiara tilted her head. “I’m sorry, it’s been a while. I wasn’t exactly doing much one thousand years ago.”

“That’s me,” The girl, Nyanners nodded her head. “Do you have a toilet here? Sabrina’s broke.”

“Don’t bring her to the toilet,” Sabrina said, her face pale.

“Sure!” Kiara chirped, completely ignoring Sabrina’s warning. “Follow me!”

-

For the sake of the Teen Rating on this fic, the events that happened in the bathroom will not be elaborated on. Luckily, Ryan was there to clean up Kiara’s mess, as usual. _“Okay, you are_ not _hooking up with her,”_ Edhas declared.

 _Glad we can agree on that one,_ Ryan replied.

“I warned you,” Sabrina said, using magic to dry herself off.

“That was very interesting,” Nyanners rubbed her chin, nodding inquisitively. “Maybe I should study soda machines next. Such a fascinating invention.”

“Maybe you can study another soda machine before I give you the opportunity to study a railgun,” Ryan grumbled, still mad that he had to spend an hour scrubbing the bathroom clean.

“What’s a railgun?” Nyanners tilted her head in intrigue. “Is it capable of holding pee?”

“Alright, that’s-,”

“Ryan, don’t!” Kiara had to physically restrain Ryan from attacking the girl.

“Morning guys, I’m bac-,” Grimm walked through the doors but stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. “Man, who pissed in his coffee?”

“I did,” Nyanners raised her hand, turning to see Grimm. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized who she was talking to. “Hey! You’re the guy who stood there and did nothing while those assholes sealed me!”

“Hey, I was death at the time,” Grimm shrugged. “It’s not like I could do anything even if I wanted to.”

“You better be ready once I learn how to weaponize toilets,” Nyanners vowed. “I will get my revenge and take over the world.”

“Hey!” Kiara called over, catching everyone’s attention. “ _I’m_ going to be the one taking over the world.”

“Only once you clock out, Tenchou,” Ryan added in helpfully.

“Time and place, Ryan!” Kiara pouted.

“Who was the one that sealed you?” Ryan asked Nyanners, his interest piqued.

“It was actually YAGOO,” Grimm replied, taking a seat. “Shade helped a bit, but it was mostly YAGOO.”

“Is that what he’s going by now?” Nyanners scoffed. “How dumb.”

“Here’s your order, Nyanners-san,” Ryan said, placing a bag of salt in front of the eldritch horror. He decided to take a page out of Kiara’s book, remembering his first day when Kiara gave Amelia a bag of salt.

“Not funny,” Nyanners grumbled.

“It’s funny to me,” Ryan shrugged.

“Does the afterlife have a toilet?” Nyanners turned to Grimm.

“I’ll make sure to stop by and have them removed when I get back,” Grimm chuckled.

“Guys, we should stop bullying the little girl,” Sabrina said. “Even if she wrecked two toilets already.”

“I’m not a little girl!” Nyanners pouted. She then grabbed her dress, intending to pull it up.

“Nope,” Grimm snapped his fingers, and Nyanners vanished in a torrent of black flames.

“You’re my hero,” Ryan gave an exasperated sigh.

“I always have been,” Grimm winked before standing up and leaving.

-

Coco sighed as she heard a knock on the door. “What is it now?” Kanata was out grocery shopping and Coco was taking her day off from streaming. Suisei and Watame were busy today, so it couldn’t be them, so who would it be? She walked over, holding a gun behind her back just in case and opened the door. She flinched slightly when she saw two women, one with crimson hair and two dragon horns, her amber eyes glowing while the other one was blonde with nails sticking out of her head, her blue eyes sparking with electricity.

“Hime-san,” Coco said, looking the two women back and forth. “Who is this?”

“My name is Zentreya,” the redhead introduced herself, putting a hand to her chest. “People call me Zen. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“I apologize for the intrusion, Kiryu-san,” Despite the constant smug smirk plastered on Hime’s face, she was very well spoken, using proper honorifics practically all the time. “Zen-san and I are going to be residing in Japan for the foreseeable future and are looking for a place to stay. Is it possible for us to stay at your place?”

“Ah, fuck,” Coco sighed. “To be honest, I’m not sure if my roommate would appreciate that. I have a few men on the inside of the real estate business. I’ll hook you up with someone.”

“Listen here-,” Smoke flared from Zen’s nostrils, but Hime stopped her before things got out of hand.

“Thank you, Kiryu-san,” the smile on Hime’s face softened a bit. “You still have my phone number, right?”

“I’ll call you with a place set up in ten minutes,” Coco said. With a curt nod from both sides, Coco closed the door as Hime and Zen left. Coco heaved a sigh. “At least there wasn’t a fight.”

-

 _“Heads up,”_ Edhas said. Ryan was walking home from work when he passed by a horned woman and a woman who seemed to have a metal plate on their head. _“Those two are dragons.”_

 _Dragons?!_ Ryan stopped, looking back at the two apparent dragons that just passed him.

 _“Well, one of them is a half dragon,”_ Edhas replied. _“The other one… I’m not too sure. Seems a bit cybernetic. Maybe a dragon cyborg? Definitely not human-developed.”_

 _Great,_ Ryan grumbled to himself as he turned around. _You really weren’t kidding when you said a storm was brewing._

 _“My intuition is always on point,”_ Edhas said smugly.

-

“That kid we just passed,” Zen said, putting her hands behind her head. “He seems interesting. Did you get anything on him?”

“According to the scanners, his name is Ryan Shade,” Electricity crackled from Hime’s electric blue eyes. “According to information from the web, he has a magic and physical combat rating of A, though my magic sensors are detecting something hidden within his magical system.”

“Interesting,” Zen cracked her knuckles. “Maybe you _were_ right. This Ryan Shade may really be the challenge we’re looking for.”

-

**Day 13: Dragon’s Roar**

Ryan cracked his neck as he opened the door. _Today is going to be a good day, right?_

 _“Keep telling yourself that,”_ Edhas grumbled as Ryan set off to walk to work. Suddenly, Ryan’s phone started to ring. Ryan looked at the phone as it rang. It wasn’t Kiara’s number. Well, as an adult, he felt an obligation to answer any phone call he gets. If it’s a scam call, he could just anyways.

“Hello-,”

“GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS!” Coco’s voice exclaimed through the phone.

“Oh, morning Kiryu-san,” Ryan said. He’s heard enough of Kiara’s screaming not to be fazed by Coco exclaiming her catchphrase. “How did you get my number?”

“I’m the chairman of the yakuza,” Coco said. “I have _everybody’s_ number.”

“Remind me not to piss you off,” Ryan said. “What did you need?”

“I wanted to warn you that a half dragon and a cybernetic dragon are in town,” Coco said. “I can’t think of any reason in why they would come here other than to show up to the KFP.”

“Why would they come to the KFP of all places?” Ryan asked. “Isn’t there like a magical bar or something?”

“Roberu’s bar doesn’t have a combat celebrity working there,” Coco deadpanned.

“Who knew that being famous would be such a pain in the ass?” Ryan grumbled. “Thanks for the heads up, Kiryu-san.”

“No problem!” Coco chirped. “If you all fight, call me. I want to see.”

 _“I like this one,”_ Edhas said suggestively. _“Maybe you should hook up with her.”_

 _Are you kidding? Amane san will kill me,_ Ryan said. He’s seen the friendship rings. It’s only a matter of time before those friendship rings turn into wedding rings.

 _“You’re not denying your infatuation,”_ Edhas pointed out.

“I’ll be sure to call you if that ever happens, but I hope that won’t be the case,” Ryan said aloud. He deduced that ignoring Edhas would be the best course of action.

_“Hey! Stop ignoring me!”_

“Alright! I’ll see you soon!” Coco said before hanging up.

 _Hmm, what should I eat for breakfast today?_ Ryan asked himself as he sighed, putting the phone in his pocket.

_“Fuck you!”_

-

“Hey Tenchou,” Ryan sighed as he entered the store.

“What’s up?” Kiara was holding a wrench, smiling brightly. “Hey, I’m taking another go at that gaming console thing! Take a look!”

“Kiryu-san called me earlier,” Ryan said, walking around the counter. He sighed, slamming his palm to his face as he saw the burning pile of junk before him. “It’s better than the pile of ash you made last time.”

“Hey!” Kiara jumped up, pulling down a screen from nowhere. She tapped a random part of the molten heat and KFP’s Gaming Company logo appeared on the screen.

“How the hell did you do that?” Ryan asked. “You know what, that doesn’t matter. Kiryu-san said that two people are probably going to be demanding a duel today.”

“Really?!” Ryan anticipated dread, much like the time when he fought Enma, but Kiara’s face brightened with delight. “I’ll be right back! I have to call Senchou and Suisei-senpai!”

“If you record this, I swear,” Ryan grumbled.

“Is this where Ryan Shade works?” The doors flew open, revealing two familiar women.

“Hold on,” Ryan raised a hand. “I need to call Kiryu-san. She wants to watch the fight.”

“Figures,” The blond woman said, electricity crackling from her eyes. “My name is Hime Hajime.”

“Zentreya,” The redhead growled, a feral grin on her face, skin pricking with anticipation. “It took forever to find this place. I hope it was worth it.”

“Sure,” Ryan grabbed his phone from his pocket. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

-

“So, I heard my best man was getting his ass ground pounded,” Amelia said, an unlit pipe in her mouth.

“Ame, you know how bad that stuff is for you,” Ryan grumbled, more of a statement than a qustion.

“That’s why it’s not lit,” Amelia offered Ryan a wink. “Kind of like you.”

“You know, I really hate you sometimes,” Ryan sighed, shaking his head in disapproval.

“GOOD MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS!” Coco exclaimed, flying in with dragon wings.

“Are you sure about this, Coco?” Kanata asked, flying down next to her. Her wings were stitched up due to one of her friends apparently tearing them off to use them the previous week.

“C’mon, Kanatan! It’ll be fun!” Coco chirped before walking up to Ryan. “You think you got this?”

“I mean, I have Edhas,” Ryan said hopefully.

 _“Nah, I want to see how you’ll do on your own,”_ Edhas said. _“If things get dicey, I’ll hop in, but I can’t fight_ all _of your battles.”_

 _Bullshit!_ Ryan exclaimed in his head.

“Apparently Edhas is abandoning me, so I’m fucked,” Ryan sighed. “I guess I’ll do my best, then.”

“AHOY!” Marine arrived with a notepad, Suisei following closely behind with a camera.

“I don’t even want to know,” Ryan grumbled.

“Oh, we’re just working on a little…” Marine trailed off, giving Ryan a suggestive wink. “Project…”

“Sure,” Ryan grumbled. He wasn’t able to stop them from doing what they want, so he decided to ignore them.

“Can we fight now?” Zen asked impatiently.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan grumbled as he walked outside, facing both Zen and Hime. “Are you going to double team me or something?”

“Exactly,” Hime’s smirk widened, the electricity in her eyes intensifying. “We need to see if you’re a challenge.”

“Don’t you realize how you’re contradicting yourself?” Ryan asked.

 _“Heads up, dipshit,”_ Edhas said. _“Got a present for you.”_

 _A present?_ Ryan’s question was answered when a glow appeared in front of him, revealing two pistols, the color scheme not unlike Edhas’s famed black and white swords.

 _“It uses magic as ammunition.”_ Edhas explained. _“Did you really think I used all my free time listening to you bitch and moan?”_

 _Thanks, Edhas,_ Ryan smirked despite his other half’s crass comment.

“Let’s do this.”

With that, the three charged at each other. The two dragonkin went for a slash on opposite sides of Ryan. Both of their hands have turned into claws, one charged with lightning and the other with fire. Ryan jumped over them, doing a flip. Halfway through the flip, he aimed his two new guns at his opponents, channeling his magic into them. When he pulled the trigger, he was surprised when two small lasers fired from the guns, the recoil reversing his flip. Zen and Hime held out their claws to block the attack but were launched back several feet as Ryan did a flip in the opposite direction that he started, stumbling to his feet.

 _Yo_ u _didn’t tell me that they were this strong!_ Ryan growled at his other half.

 _“Why would you expect anything less than the best from me?”_ Edhas shot back smugly. _“It’s also capable of elemental magic.”_

 _Noted,_ Ryan said as he charged the guns with magic. Zen charged at him again while Hime charged a beam from her mouth, firing it at him. Ryan charged one of his guns with extra magic and shot a bean of his own, intercepting Hime’s attack before narrowly dodging Zen’s strike, charging a small amount of magic to his other gun, shooting the half-dragon point blank. Ryan made sure for it not to hurt too badly, but it was enough to send her sprawling.

-

“He’s not bad,” Amelia said, tossing a handful of popcorn in her mouth, Kiara had set up some plastic chairs and tables for everyone to relax and watch the fight. “I totally rubbed off on him.”

“You’re going to be selling that footage to the RSFC, right?” Marine asked Suisei, who had a camera set up with a tripod.

“Of course,” Suisei offered the pirate captain a sweet smile. “They’re willing to pay a ludicrous amount of money for footage of Ryan fighting.”

“I’m so proud of my little egg,” Kiara wiped a tear from her eye.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Coco said. “Looks like things are about to turn around.”

“What do you mean?” Kanata asked, snugged up with Coco in a blanket.

“Oh, my little Kanatan,” Coco placed a hand over the small ~~gorilla~~ angel’s head. “You still have a lot to learn.”

-

“Not bad,” Zen sprouted wings, flying up, shooting a jet of fire at Ryan. He tumbled out of the way. He barely noticed that Hime was already preparing a strike to his face. Ryan threw his hands up, reinforcing his arms with magic, but the strike to the face never came. Instead, he felt a sharp pain in his gut as an electric-charged fist slammed into his stomach, sending him sprawling.

 _“You should have caught that feint, dumbass,”_ Edhas said as Ryan forced himself to his feet.

 _Bite me,_ Ryan growled as he zigzagged his way to Hime, who was still on the ground. Ryan dismissed the guns, fortifying his fists with magic. He then launched a flurry of blows at her, trying his best not to give her an opportunity to attack. When he slammed his fist through her face, he didn’t feel anything hit.

 _An afterimage?!_ By the time Ryan noticed, it was too late. He felt us muscles tense as electricity coursed through his back. He flew to the ground.

“Not bad,” Hime chucked, looking down at Ryan. “But not quite enough. I believe that this battle is over.”

“Disappointing,” Zen said as she flew down next to Hime.

 _“Fine, I’ll go ahead and save your ass,”_ Edhas said, letting himself taking over Ryan’s body. _“You owe me one.”_

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” With an explosion of magic energy, Edhas stood up, his eyes glowing purple as two swords appeared in his hands. “As much as I enjoyed you kicking the crap out of my other half with that cheap shot of yours, I can’t let that happen.”

-

“Holy shield!” Kanata jumped from her blanket, holding out her hands. Her halo flew over to her palms and started to spin as a barrier spread around the spectators, protecting them from the murderous intent flying in every direction.

“Kanatan~,” Coco whined, snuggling with the blankets. “It’s cold without you here~.”

“Coco, do you see that?!” She pointed to Edhas’s menacing appearance.

“Eh, it’s not _that_ uncommon,” Kiara said, munching on a chicken leg.

“Sucks that we didn’t get see Ryan fight more,” Amelia said, finishing her tub of popcorn and moved on to a cup of tea. “He did pretty good against two dragons, though. I don’t know if I could do that. What do you think Senchou?”

Marine was too busy muttering to herself and writing notes as Suisei seemed to be infatuated with her camera. “Well, at least they’re projecting their thoughts.”

-

“The hell?” Zen tensed up, smoke flaring from her nostrils.

“Looks like he has stopped holding back,” Hime crossed her arms underneath her chest, her smirk gone. “The magic scouter says the power level is over 9000.”

“Over 9000?!” Zen exclaimed. “That’s… actually not that strong.”

“Let me say my references,” Hime sighed. “His Magical and Physical Combat Ratings are both SSS*.”

“I thought your sensors didn’t have a SSS level,” Zen said.

“It’s not that,” Hime said. “I just haven’t met anyone with that kind of power yet.”

“Are you done sizing me up?” Edhas asked, sighing impatiently. “Sorry, I just _have_ to be polite in situations such as these.”

“You…!” Zen growled, rushing over to Edhas, both hands now shifting into flaming claws. Edhas casually stepped back, tossing his swords up in the air before assuming a fighting stance. He then threw a punch, but it looked like nine fists flying towards Zen at once. Zen crossed her arms, intending to block as many of the hits as possible. Surprisingly, only one hit actually landed. Much like Hime did to Ryan, he pulled a feint, just to a higher degree. Zen flew back as Edhas hit her in the gut, crashing into a wall.

“Not bad,” Hime said as Edhas caught his swords. Her arms retracted, twin cannons taking their places. She then charged a beam with her mouth and her two cannon arms, shooting a beam several times larger than Edhas’s entire body. Edhas slammed one of his swords in the ground and channeled energy into it. The beam collided with the sword, the sword acting as a sort of barrier. Edhas cast an invisibility spell and snuck behind Hime. Since there was still resistance against the beam, Hime assumed that Edhas was still there, trying to push back the laser, but to her surprise, Edhas dispelled the invisibility spell, and a sword appeared mere inches from her throat.

“Looks like I win,” Edhas said.

“Sucks that we couldn’t have continued this fight for longer,” Hime sighed. “But alas, a defeat is a defeat.”

“Hey Edhas!” Kiara called over. “Remember, you’re cleaning up the mess!”

“I’ll just leave it to Ryan,” Edhas sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he dispelled his swords.

_“Hey!”_

-

“So, that was fun,” Kiara smiled. It didn’t take long for Ryan to fix the outer lot and for everyone to relocated back into the KFP.

“I’m totally going to be challenging you to a rematch!” Zen laughed.

“You are most impressive, Ryan Shade,” Hime said. “You and your… Edhas.”

“I guess we make a pretty good team,” Ryan said. “Edhas deals with the fighting and I deal with all of the, in his words, ‘boring shit’.”

 _“I’m not wrong,”_ Edhas said in Ryan’s head. Ryan just waved him off. He wasn’t talking to Edhas at the moment.

“To be honest, I think I like this Edhas figure,” Hime said.

 _“See?! I told you!”_ Edhas shouted in Ryan’s head.

“Now I must defeat and kill him in righteous combat.”

_“I take back my previous statement.”_

“I would be eternally grateful if you do,” Ryan said.

“Hey, Hime! Let’s train!” Zen slapped her friend on the back. “We need to be able to kick his eyes next time!”

“Yes, Zen-san,” Hime stood up, sighing. “It was nice meeting you Ryan.”

“Nice meeting you too,” Ryan smiled. As the two dragonkin left, Ryan turned, a menacing smile on his face. Kiara, Suisei, and Marine stiffened, Coco pulled Kanata close to her, and Amelia just laughed.

“Now,” Ryan said, his murderous intent flaring despite his smile. A tick mark appeared on his forehead. “Where the hell is that camera?”

-

**Day 14: Holodating (Matsuri Have Mercy)**

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called through the phone.

“I thought you weren’t going to call me anymore,” Ryan said. Not that he was annoyed or anything, but it was a surprise.

“Ah, I’ve prepared something special for you today!” Kiara chirped. Ryan could hear the excitement pouring from her voice. Usually when Kiara was excited, that meant Ryan was in danger, considering the last time that happened, Ryan got shot in the head.

“Should I be excited or nervous?” Ryan asked.

“C’mon, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“You’d be surprised,” Ryan grumbled. “I’ll see you in five.”

-

Fortunately, the windows weren’t covered this time, but Ryan noticed that Marine was sitting and chatting with Kiara. “Morning Tenchou, Houshou-san,” Ryan said as he opened the doors.

“Why do you call Kiara-chan Tenchou but you call me Houshou-san?!” Marine exclaimed. “Call me Senchou!”

“If that’s what you want, Senchou,” Ryan said. As he understood it, Marine letting him call her “Senchou” was a sign of friendship and respect. “So, what am I doing here?”

“Kiara-chan asked me to do a huge favor,” Marine exclaimed. “Today, we’re going to get you a date.”

“Tenchou,” Ryan glared at his manager. “We talked about this.”

“What?” Kiara flinched, letting her index fingers touch while giving Ryan an innocent look. “You looked lonely.”

 _“To be fair, you_ are _lonely,”_ Edhas said.

You _don’t get a say in this,_ Ryan grumbled.

“Fine, I’ll humor you,” Ryan sighed. “I guess your intentions are good enough, and if you set everything up already, I would feel bad if I rejected your offer.”

“Really?!” Kiara squealed. “Thank you, Ryan!”

-

The first person to enter was Fubuki. “Fubuki-senpai!” Marine ran up to the ~~cat~~ fox girl. “We need your help!”

“Ah, you asked me to be here?” Fubuki tilted her head and put a finger to her chin, her tail swishing back and forth.

“We’re looking to get Ryan a girlfriend!” Kiara chirped.

“Wait, so you didn’t tell everyone before inviting them?” Ryan asked, shaking his head in disappointment.

 _“Ah, this one is quite strong,”_ Edhas said. _“I approve.”_

 _You don’t get to approve, you jackass pervert,_ Ryan grumbled.

“We are _friends_!” Fubuki exclaimed. “No waifu! We are _friends_!”

 _-999 Super Effective!_ Though Ryan wasn’t affected, he could hear Edhas’s cries of pain of being rejected. Normally, Ryan would be annoyed at this, but right now, it was music to his ears.

 _“Serves you right,”_ Ryan said, resisting the urge to smirk.

“But I have a friend!” Fubuki chirped. “I can bring her soon!”

“Really?!” Marine exclaimed. “Thank you, Fubuki-senpai!”

“But-,” Ryan started, but Kiara shot him a glare. “Thank you, Shirakami-san.”

“Anything for my friend!” Fubuki exclaimed before running off.

“I expected worse,” Kiara rubbed her chin, crossing off something on a notebook.

“Are you seriously charting this?” Ryan asked, sighing.

“You know, if this doesn’t work, we could always have dinner and a little bit more~,” Marine offered Ryan a suggestive wink.

“I’ll pass,” Ryan said. “I fear for my chastity.”

“That’s the point of dating, Ryan,” Kiara pointed out.

“Not on the first date,” Ryan shot back.

“Suit yourself,” Marine pouted.

-

“I heard Fubuki would be here?!” Matusri burst through the doors.

“You just missed her,” Ryan said.

“We’re looking to get Ryan a girlfriend!” Kiara exclaimed. “Would you mayhaps be a little interested~?”

“Is he a loli?” Matsuri asked, her eyes boring into Ryan.

“No…?” Ryan said, more confused and intimidated than anything.

“Then I’m not interested,” Matsuri declared.

“Should have seen this coming,” Kiara said, crossing off Matsuri’s name on her notebook.

 _“Don’t worry about it,”_ Edhas said. _“Dating a goddess never ends well.”_

 _And your sources are?_ Ryan asked.

_“Experience.”_

_Yeah, like I’m_ ever _going to believe that._

-

“Hellobo~,” Roboco cheered as she entered the restaurant, a cheery smile on her face.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Edhas was still not as resistant to cuteness overloads as Ryan was, but Ryan still felt the attack.

 _“I must admit, she’s cute,”_ Edhas said. _“Even if she_ is _a robot. You should totally date her.”_

“Roboco-senpai!” Kiara cheered. “What do you think of Ryan?”

“What do I think?” Roboco tilted her head with confusion.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Edhas groaned in pain as the cuteness meter rose.

 _“It really isn’t healthy for my heart to be around all these cute girls,”_ Edhas said.

 _You don’t have a heart,_ Ryan pointed out.

_“You don’t know that.”_

_Whatever._

“Ryan is a very kind person,” Roboco started. “Even when he barely knew us, he still put his life on the line more than once for Kiara-chan and all of us. You treated all of us with respect, even when you were still a human in a time of distress. You’re a very strong and reliable person, keeping your word almost, if not all the time. You’ve grown so much from the person that Watson-san called in to have a therapy session with me. I’m so proud of what you’ve become, Ryan.”

“I’m…” Ryan stumbled over his words, searching for the right phrase. “I’m flattered. Thank you, Roboco-san.”

“It’s only the truth,” Roboco’s smile grew.

_-100 Hp! Critical Hit!_

_“Edhas, the joke is getting stale,”_ Ryan grumbled in his head.

 _“I’m sorry, but I can’t help it that Roboco-san is so damn cute,”_ Edhas said, and to be fair, he had a point.

“So, what would you think about being his girlfriend?” Kiara asked, a bit too bluntly to be honest.

“B-boyfriend…?” Roboco’s face flushed for a moment before fading, her eyes going blank. “Processing… processing…”

“I think you broke her,” Ryan said.

“Unable to compute, engaging tactical retreat,” Roboco said in a monotone voice before turning around and walking away, as if on autopilot.

“I’m relieved, but I don’t know whether or not to be offended or not,” Ryan said.

“Don’t worry about it!” Kiara crossed off Roboco’s name. “There are plenty more.”

“Alright, let me see the list,” Ryan said. “If you’re going to drag them into this, I might as well prepare them something.”

-

“Yo dayo!” Ayame burst through the doors excitedly.

 _“I have a bad feeling about this,”_ Edhas said. _“She’s just… too cute.”_

 _That’s your problem,_ Ryan said. Despite his crass words, he was preparing his heart or anymore.

“Ojou!” Kiara squealed. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Kiara-chan!” Ayame dived over the counter, tackling Kiara in a hug. Kiara laughed as she wrapped her arms around Ayame, not caring that she just jumped the counter. “What did you need from me?”

“Ah, we’re looking to get Ryan a girlfriend!” Kiara answered excitedly.

“Ah, what does that have to do with me?” Ayame asked, tilting her head.

_-9999 Hp! ULTRA COMBOOOOOO!_

_“It’s a wonder I’m still alive…”_ Edhas managed. _“She’s too pure. I can’t let you date her.”_

“I refuse to drag Nakiri-san into this any longer,” Ryan said, putting his foot down. He placed a place of sweets on the counter. “Here’s some dango for you, Nakiri-san.”

“Dango!” Ayame vaulted over the counter and stuck a stick of dango in her mouth, smiling brightly.

_-99999 Hp! Game Over!_

“I should have expected this,” Kiara sighed, shaking her head while crossing out Ayame’s name. “We have quite a few left, so don’t worry!”

“Perfect,” Ryan grumbled.

-

Ryan was surprised to see Choco’s name on the list next. “Why is Choco-sensei on this list?”

“Er…” Kiara shuffled nervously.

“Choco-sensei is such a catch,” Marine swooned. “You’d be lucky to have her.”

“Isn’t she a bit… old…?” Ryan asked.

“Don’t worry about it!” Kiara slapped Ryan on the back. “Gura’s 9000 years older than Ame! Age is just a number!”

“But-,” Ryan sighed, realizing there was nothing he could do. “Whatever.”

“Ara, what’s this~?” The doors opened, everybody’s head swiveling towards Choco’s voice.

“Ah, we’re trying to get Ryan a girlfriend!” Kiara chirped.

“Oh, you want me to date my student~?” Choco smiled. “How scandalous~”

 _“That’s the one,”_ Edhas said. _“Date that one.”_

 _Can you think with your brain for once in your life?_ Ryan growled.

“What do you think, Ryan~?” Choco winked at Ryan.

“I think…” The gear’s in Ryan’s brain whirled. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“The toilets are still broken,” Kiara said.

“Ah, shit.”

-

“I can’t believe you didn’t accept Choco-sensei’s offer,” Marine sighed. “I wish she would offer to have me for dinner.”

“That’s _exactly_ why I denied the offer,” Ryan said. “Again, I prefer to keep my sanity, and more importantly, my chastity.”

“Killjoy,” Marine booed.

“OMAEEEEEE!” Subaru barreled through the doors, pointing at Kiara. “Choco-sensei told me what you were up to!”

“What’s wrong with getting Ryan a girlfriend?” Kiara asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?!” Subaru exclaimed. “Why did you have to drag me into this?! Ui-mama is going to go ballistic!”

“Shit!” Kiara and Marine said at once. Kiara grabbed her notebook, hastily crossing off Subaru’s name.

“If you don’t live to the end of the week, then I apologize in advance,” Kiara turned to Ryan.

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled. “It’s not like I’m not used to it.”

-

In an unknown location, Shigure Ui sharpened a knife, an annoyed smile on her face. “Who tried to sully the purity of my daughter…?”

-

Ryan shuddered as if an unknown force was warning him to run. “Are there any more people?” He asked, his eyes pleading for release.

Kiara’s phone buzzed and she took it out, looking at it. “I guess Ina’s out,” she said.

“What happened?” Marine asked.

“She’s going to…” Kiara sighed, using finger quotes when she continued. “Take the alien and the fox to the moon, if you catch my drift.”

“Wow, I didn’t think Ina-chan was capable of picking up chicks,” Marine rubbed her chin. “She went from zero to two in a week. She’s been busy.”

“I guess that’s all of them, then,” Kiara sighed in defeat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you a girlfriend, Ryan.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan put a hand on his manager’s back in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m honestly content with my life. It’s not like I need a girlfriend to make me happy. All I need is you, the KFP, and everyone.”

“Really?!” Kiara tackled her employee in a hug. “It makes me so happy to hear that!”

“Ryan…” Ryan shuddered as he turned to see Calli, a murderous look on her face.

“I can explain…” Ryan said, sweat beading down his face.

 _“Oh, you’re fucked,”_ Edhas said.

_Tell me something I don’t know._

-

Miko put her phone in her pocket, ignoring Kiara and Marine’s text.

“What was it?” Silvervale asked, admiring one of the many sakura blossoms that lived in Miko’s shrine.

“Ah, my friends wanted me to come down and meet them at their restaurant,” Miko replied.

“What did you say?” Silvervale asked, letting a pink blossom drift into her hand.

“FAQ,” Miko said casually, causing the wolf girl to giggle.

“Maybe we should go tomorrow,” Silvervale turned to smile at the shrine maiden. “I would love to meet some of your friends.”

“Yeah,” Miko said, looking at the full moon, a soft smile on her face. “That would be nice.”

-

**Day 15: Blossoms**

Ryan was surprised when Sakura blossoms danced in the wind throughout the city as soon as he exited his apartment complex. _Edhas, do you know what’s going on?_

 _“I’m detecting small traces of magic, from the blossoms,”_ Edhas informed. _“My guess is either a Sakura spirit or a mage causing this. They don’t look harmful at all, so I’m edging towards a spirit.”_

 _So, it’s not that much of a problem?_ Ryan asked, not taking a step from the building. It wouldn’t hurt for him to be cautious.

 _“No, it seems the magic was only used to summon the blossoms, not to use them for any other reason,”_ Edhas said. _“Unless I’m missing something big, which I don’t do, then it’s completely safe.”_

 _I don’t exactly trust you completely, but I have to get to work,_ Ryan grumbled, finally setting off for work.

_“Yeah, you should-, Hey!”_

-

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan sighed, walking into the restaurant as if yesterday’s… event never took place. To be fair, Ryan spent the better part of the day before trying to forget said event, but to no avail.

“Hi, Ryan!” Kiara said. “Good news! Miko’s coming and she’s bringing a friend!”

“Not that I’m not excited to see Sakura-san again,” Ryan remembered the brief encounter with her at the shrine and her banter with Kiara and Moona, “but why is that good news as opposed to anyone else showing up?”

“I invited her to come yesterday, but she said she couldn’t make it (Read: FAQ),” Kiara cheered. “The search for a new girlfriend continues!”

“Great,” Ryan said, sighing profusely. “Just when I thought it was over.”

“Oh, it can’t be _that_ bad!” Kiara chirped, a cheery smile on her face. “Unfortunately, I can’t afford for you to have another day off, so you have to work today.”

“You know, I’d rather work than be subject to you dragging more and more girls into this against their will,” Ryan said as he used magic to change into his uniform.

“Oh, you!” Kiara slapped Ryan’s back as he walked around the counter. “Don’t worry about silly things like that! This is fun, isn’t it?”

“I won’t deny that, but-,”

“Then why are you complaining?”

“Because-,” Ryan started, but stopped when he realized that anything he could have said would just fly over the fire bird’s head. “You know what? Whatever.”

“Nyahello~,” Miko’s voice rang throughout the room as she entered the joint, followed by a wolf girl with blue and pink hair. “The Elite Miko has arrived!”

“Hello! My name is Silvervale!” The wolf girl jumped up, waving enthusiastically to match Miko’s excitement, which she was doing surprising well. Suddenly, a large, floofy tail rolled out from under her skirt. “Ah, my tail!”

“Don’t worry about it!” Kiara chirped. “Just take a seat!”

“Thank you!” Silvervale bounced over to the counter, taking a seat with Miko. “It takes a lot of time to roll up my tail and shove it up my a- skirt.”

“You know, I doubt that I want to know,” Ryan said. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you, Silvervale-san.”

“Oh, I know you!” Silvervale pointed at Ryan. “I’ve seen you on Mousey’s streams! She really simps over you.”

“Oh, now she’s plastering my face on livestreams?” Ryan grumbled. “She almost killed me the last time she came here.”

“That sounds like her alright,” Silvervale nodded contently, her tail swishing back and forth. “Why are you working at a KFP? You’re practically a celebrity. I heard your merchandise is selling a lot.”

“I mean, I _am_ getting paid for that,” Ryan said, sighing. “I honestly just wanted to live a modest life and help out my friends. I never intended to become a celebrity. I’m happy enough with where I am in life.”

“Ryan…” Kiara looked at Ryan with sparkling eyes.

“Tenchou, time and place,” Ryan said, causing Kiara to snap from her stupor.

“Right!” Kiara chirped, turning to Silvervale and Miko. “What would you two like?”

“FAQ,” Miko said casually, causing Kiara and Silvervale to laugh.

“Am I missing an inside joke or something?” Ryan asked.

“Kind of,” Kiara said. “What about you, Silvervale-san?”

“I’ll have a cream pie,” Silvervale said.

“By that do you mean-,” Kiara licked her lips, but Ryan smacked her on the back of the head before she could say anything else.

“She means the dessert, Tenchou,” Ryan said. “Get your head out of the gutter.”

“Finally!” Silvervale exclaimed. “Someone who gets it! Every time I tell people my favorite dessert is cream pie, they always… why can’t it be called something else?”

“Beats me,” Ryan sighed.

“I’ll go make it!” Kiara volunteered.

“Fine,” Ryan said. “Just don’t put anything weird in it.”

“No promises~,” Kiara winked before walking off.

“You seem like a decent enough person,” Silvervale said, catching Ryan’s attention. “You remind me of someone I met long ago.”

“Huh, I tend to get that sometimes,” Ryan said.

 _Edhas you got anything?_ Ryan asked. Usually, Edhas was tied to things like this, like with the whole Peafowl situation (refer to chapter 2).

 _“For once, I don’t exactly know,”_ Edhas said. _“If Shade was here, he could tell us.”_

 _Well, he isn’t,_ Ryan said.

“Hm, you remind me of the wolves I knew back home,” Silvervale said. “Your magical aura is strong, but I sense a much fearsome beast that lurks underneath.”

 _“What’s with everyone being able to detect my presence?”_ Edhas groaned. _“That shit is supposed to be secret.”_

 _I mean, I don’t really care about that,_ Ryan said.

“What the fuck am I saying? I don’t talk like that!” Silvervale sighed to herself. “Your existence _is_ interesting, though.”

“I’m flattered,” Ryan said. He turned to Miko to ask her thoughts on the matter, but she was swaying back and forth humming to herself.

 _“She’s quite cute,”_ Edhas said. _“Maybe you should ask her out.”_

 _FAQ,_ Ryan said.

“I’m back!” Kiara said, bringing out a slice of cream pie and a bowl of taiyaki. “One cream pie for Silvervale-san and one plate of taiyaki for Miko-senpai!”

“Thank you!” Miko said in ~~broken~~ Elite English as she dug into the fish cake.

“Looks… moist,” Silvervale poked the pie with her fork before taking a bite. “Just how I like it!”

“I’m happy that I can meet your standards, Silvervale-san,” Kiara smiled sweetly at the wolf girl.

“So, we’re looking for a girlfriend for Ryan-,” By the time Ryan clasped his hand over his boss’s mouth, it was too late.

“Fuck,” Ryan said. “Don’t listen to her.”

“You know, I think know the perfect person,” Silvervale rubbed her chin. “Do you know someone named Nyatasha Nyann-,”

“Yes!” Ryan and Kiara butt in at the same time. Ryan flushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “She… kind of destroyed our toilets the other day.”

“I see,” Silvervale said, nodding thoughtfully. “There goes that prank idea.”

Ryan was going to say something but figured that trying to get him to hook up with Nyanners would probably be a top-tier prank. Unfortunately, he had already met the eldritch horror and had no interest in sparking any kind of romantic relationship with her.

“Thank you for the food!” Miko said, handing the empty plate to Ryan.

“The cream pie was really good!” Silvervale said, offering her plate to Ryan as well.

“No problem,” Ryan said.

“Hey! I was the one who made them!” Kiara pouted.

“Yeah, but you’re trying to hook me up,” Ryan said.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Kiara snapped.

“Everything,” Ryan said, causing everyone to laugh.

-

“Ryan,” Ryan jumped when he heard Silvervale’s voice from behind him. He had just clocked out and exited the alleyway when he heard Silvervale’s voice from behind him. He turned around to see the wolf girl, special headphones covering her wolf ears and her tail tucked in her skirt.

“What do you need, SIlvervale-san?” Ryan asked, a welcoming smile growing on his face. No need to act hostile.

“I can tell you attract a lot of trouble,” Silvervale said. “Zen and Hime’s aura are on you.”

“Huh, I didn’t know aura lingered like that,” Ryan said. “They challenged me to a fight the other day. I needed the help of my other half to beat them.”

“You won?” Silverdale asked, looking visibly shocked. “I’ve never heard of someone beating them.”

“I took them by surprise,” Ryan said. “I couldn’t have won if it weren’t for my other half.”

“Ah, so the thing hidden behind your aura,” Silvervale nodded inquisitively. “Anyways, it seems a lot of magical creatures are coming to this area.”

“I guess,” Ryan said. “What does this have to do with me though?”

“Not all of them have the best intentions,” Silvervale replied. “I can’t be too certain, but as a spirit of nature, it is my responsibility to make sure mother nature remains safe.”

“I won’t do anything bad,” Ryan said, raising his hands in surrender. “I never intended to do anything bad.”

“No, it’s not that,” Silvervale said, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s just… if anything bad happens, are you able to help out? Having someone like you on our side would be nice.”

“Sure, I live here too, but if I’m on your side, who’s on the other side?” Ryan asked.

“No one for now, but there is a real chance that things may rise up in the future,” Silvervale said.

“Fair enough,” Ryan said. “I’ll help if I need to.”

“Thank you,” Silvervale bowed deeply. “We shall meet again.”

“I guess we shall,” Ryan said as Silvervale vanished in a gust of wind and Sakura petals.

-

“I’m finally here!” Melody said as she landed on Japanese soil. She closed her eyes and activated her sensors, letting her memories integrate with the scanners as to scan out her friends. “Man, this body is really neat!”

She was surprised when she saw that all of her friends were in one city. “I guess I’ll go see Mousey first,” she said, letting her legs morph to rocket boosters as she flew off.

-

“Melody!” Ironmouse squealed as the android landed in front of the RSFC main building. Ironmouse tackled her friend in a hug. “How did you get a physical body?”

“Ah, I saw that someone was developing some magical android and decided to take it over,” Melody replied.

“What’s going-,” A brown-haired girl stepped out of the building and froze when she saw Melody. “ _Please_ don’t tell me that you hijacked Reporter’s magical android.”

“Was that his name?” Melody put her finger to her chin and tilted her head.

“Well, nothing you can do about it now,” The girl shook her head. “Anyways, my name is Sabrina Godson, chairman of the RSFC.”

“She’s been giving me a place to stay for the past couple weeks!” Ironmouse said.

“Since you’re… borrowing my friend’s android, I might as well let you in as well,” Sabrina said. “I’ll contact him and get the charger for you.”

“Really?!” Melody exclaimed. “Thank you, Sabrina! You’re the best!”

“Oh, you totally need to meet Ryan Shade!” Ironmouse said.

“Oh, I saw him on your stream!” Melody said. “You’ve met him before.”

“Yeah! He’s really nice!”

“You’re probably going to have to wait a few days before you can meet him though,” Sabrina said.

“Why?” Ironmouse tilted her head at the Masked Mage.

“Ryan has… an event to go to tomorrow,” Sabrina smirked, envisioning Ryan’s reaction to the phone call.

-

“Hello?” Ryan said, putting the phone to his ear. He didn’t know _who_ wanted to call him at one in the morning, but his obligation as an adult forced him to pick up the phone.

“YUBI YUBI!” Korone exclaimed through the phone. “Hi Ryan!”

“What’s up, Korone-san?” Ryan asked. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“The wedding is tomorrow!” Korone exclaimed. “Don’t be late!”

“WHAT?!” Ryan exclaimed, jumping up from his bed. “I don’t even have a suit prepared! Oh fuck, oh shit!”

“That’s your problem!” Ryan heard Okayu’s voice in the distance.

“If you’re late, I’ll take your yubis!” Korone said before hanging up the phone.

“Are you kidding me?” Ryan groaned as he walked over to his closet.

 _“You know, that should be you,”_ Edhas said.

 _You sound like a mother who is a bit_ too _excited for grandkids,_ Ryan grumbled.

 _“I just want you to have a happy partner in life,”_ Edhas said innocently as Ryan sighed, settling for the suit he wore for Kiara and Calli’s wedding.

 _I can’t catch a break,_ Ryan grumbled as he flopped on his bed. Right now, what he needed most was a nap.

-

**Day 16: Yubis Intertwined**

Korone shuffled around nervously, her yubis shaking. Today was the most important day in her life: the day where she’ll walk down the isle with her soon-to-be cat wife. Despite her nerves, she couldn’t be happier. Okayu was the ‘bestest person in the world’ and she was _hers_. Korone gripped her wrist, taking deep breaths. When her yubis stilled, she clenched her fist, shooting it in the air. “YUBI YUBI!”

-

Okayu laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling while munching on a rice ball. The wedding started soon, but it was normal to arrive fashionably late, right? She sighed, stuffing the whole rice ball in her mouth. She was excited to marry Korone, but she was also scared. What if things go wrong in the relationship? What if they divorce? Okayu would be devastated. “No, I can’t think like that,” Okayu said to herself, standing up. “Koro-san is _mine_ , and we _will_ be happy together.”

-

 _“You up?”_ Edhas asked as Ryan turned over on his bed. _“You have a wedding to attend to, remember?”_

 _Don’t remind me,_ Ryan grumbled to his other half as he got out of bed. He cracked his neck and snapped his fingers and he was instantly found himself in a suit. _You know, having magic is very convenient. It would suck if I got it taken away._

 _“Imagine if you got thrown back in time again,”_ Edhas snickered. _“Damn, that would suck.”_

 _It would be better if you came,_ Ryan sighed. _I mean, things would be weird since I didn’t have magic or whatever, but I think we could get a lot of done together._

 _“Whatever,”_ Edhas sighed. _“Let’s get going.”_

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called as Ryan walked up to HoloHQ. Kiara, Calli, Amelia, Gura, and Ina were waiting outside, casually chatting amongst each other. Ina was wearing a lavender dress while Calli and Amelia were wearing a lighter purple while Gura and Kiara were wearing a tannish color.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan waved over as he joined the group. “Are you ready for the wedding?”

“Yep!” Kiara exclaimed, shooting her fist in the air before wincing. “Damn, I hate these heels.”

“Just deal with it, Kusotori,” Calli rolled her eyes.

“You don’t even have to wear heels since you’re so tall!” Kiara complained. Calli stared at her, pretending she didn’t say anything.

“Guys, we have to go prepare for the ceremony,” Amelia cut in. “You ready, Gura?”

“Yep!” Gura cheered. “I’m excited for the recession, though! Korone-senpai’s yubis are the best!”

“I guess I’ll see you guys at the wedding,” Ryan sighed as everyone except Ina left. “I guess you’re not a bridesmaid.”

“Well, since there’s three of us in the relationship, we can’t exactly all be on the altar,” Ina said.

“Wait, you got into a relationship?” Ryan asked.

“Humu-humu,” Ina nodded contently. “Nene and Polka went on a date with me a couple days ago. It went really well.”

“Congratulations,” Ryan said, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

 _“You really need to get on the whole relationship thing,”_ Edhas said.

 _Shut up,_ Ryan grumbled.

 _“You’d be so lost without me,”_ Edhas said.

_Doubt it._

-

Ryan smiled as he saw Fubuki, Mio, and Ayame on the stage for the processional, singing a song that was apparently released a couple weeks ago. Ryan chuckled when he remembered what he was doing a couple weeks ago (read: getting his ass kicked by a manager). One by one, he saw couples walk down. Gura and Ame, Calli and Kiara, Moona and Iofi, Flare and Noel, and Sora and AZKi. Ryan was surprised to see Sora and AZKi walk down the aisle together, but it wasn’t really any of his business. If they got together, Ryan was happy for them, but that wasn’t a certainty. A-Chan walked down the aisle with the flowers before Aki walked down with the rings. Lastly, Okayu and Korone walked down the aisle with gowns that matched the color of their eyes. Ryan smiled as his eyes followed the couple.

When they met on the aisle, YAGOO walked out and introduced himself as the officiant. “Though we may have switched to an entertainment company, things have started to look up,” YAGOO said with a smile on his face. “Today we will witness the joining between cats and dogs. Today, we will join two people who are very important to hearts.”

As usual, Ryan tuned himself out during the readings. Not that he didn’t respect them, his attention-span was just too short. “Are you ready to go through with this?” YAGOO turned to ask the two.

“Yes,” Okayu nodded, a smile on her face.

“Of course!” Korone cheers.

“We will now proceed to the vows,” YAGOO said.

“I’ll start,” Okayu volunteered. “When I met you, Koro-san, I did not expect us to come up on here. Just a few years ago we were just trying our best to survive in a harsh world that hated us. I’ve always considered you a friend and when you asked me out last year, I was thoroughly surprised. Saying yes was one of the best decisions in my life. Right now, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you. I want to continue to be with you, to continue loving you, to do more OkaKoro streams with you. I want to live like this with you for the rest of my life.”

“Okayu, I love you,” Korone said, her face straining to make a serious expression. Ryan was surprised Korone could even make a serious expression since she was constantly happy all the time. “I love you more than yubis, more than bananas. I love you more than anything in the world. I don’t ever want to leave you. We _will_ have more OkaKoro streams and we _will_ love each other forever. When I first met you in the café, I knew who I wanted to be with. It was love at first sight. I am so happy that we spent so much time together, even if times were tough. Even when we were starving on the street as strays, I couldn’t be happier with you at my side. Even when our lives were on the line. If I went back in time, I would choose to go with you again, no matter how much pain it would have caused me. I know I could take it. If I’m with you, I can take anything. I will never let you go.”

Aki then stepped up with the rings and silently put the rings on Korone and Okayu’s fingers, giving each other them a polite smile and nod as she did so. “With the power of kusa, I pronounce you two wife and wife,” YAGOO said, his smile widening. “You may kiss the bride.”

“Okayu!” Korone shouted, tackling her new wife into a kiss. Ryan chuckled at this. Some things will never change.

-

“Congratulations on your marriage,” Ryan said, walking up to Okayu and Korone, who were casually chatting amongst the crowd.

“Thank you,” Okayu smiled at Ryan. “I’m very happy with how things went.”

“Want one?” Korone shoved a fried finger in Ryan’s face.

“I’ll pass,” Ryan said, still not comfortable with the idea of eating a human finger.

“Koro-san, we talked about shoving things in people’s faces,” Okayu said patiently, putting a hand on Korone’s head.

“Sorry!” Korone said in broken English before shoving the finger in her mouth gleefully.

“Hi friend!” Fubuki cheered, walking up to Ryan.

“Hi Fubuki,” Ryan said, a soft smile on his face. He had a soft spot for the kitsune. She was just so… pure. “You did really good on stage today.”

“Thank you!” Fubuki smiled back at Ryan. “You should come join us on the dance floor with us! It’ll be fun!”

“Uh, I’m not much of a dan-,” Ryan was cut off when Fubuki grabbed his arm, pulling him over to the dance floor, much to his protest.

“We got Ryan on the floor!” The DJ, who happened to be Calli shouted. “For our next song, I’ll be playing Hinotori by the sexiest Phoenix in the world and my wife, Takanashi Kiara!”

As music started to play, Ryan sighed. _Edhas, what do I do?_

 _“Beats me, pal,”_ Edhas said. _“I can fight, but I can’t dance.”_

 _Didn’t you have a girlfriend before?_ Ryan asked, awkwardly shuffling to the music.

 _“Our dates consisted of killing eldritch horrors, not dancing at a school ball,”_ Edhas informed.

_Shit._

-

Storm was sitting cross-legged in the void. With a flash of multiple colors, a pale-skinned man wearing a blue hoodie and a mask on the side of his head appeared. “What do you want, Nux?” Storm asked, standing up and turning to confront the man.

“I just wanted to visit a fellow resident of the void!” Nux walked up to Storm, clasping his shoulder and laughing joyously. “Man, Earth has been great! Why didn’t you ever tell me about anime? Shit’s great!”

“I was afraid of this happening,” Storm sighed, shaking his head. “How are you enjoying the new body?”

“The body’s working pretty well,” Nux said, winding his arms. “It’s pretty weird, though. I don’t like constantly having to eat n’ shit.”

“Yeah, that was a hassle,” Storm sighed, remembering when he was on the physical plane.

“Nux!” Grimm’s voice was heard as he ran over.

“Oh hey! You’re alive!” Nux called back as the two clasped hands in greeting. “It’s been a while, Grimm.”

“That it has been,” Grimm smiled brightly at Nux. “What have you been up to?”

“I discovered this wonderful thing called MeTube,” Nux started. “I get to talk about all the stuff I love to do and get paid for it! Can you believe that?”

“Yeah, Earth can be pretty nice at times,” Grimm said. Their conversation was cut off when Storm cried out in agony, clutching his right eye.

“Storm!” The two shouted in unison, rushing over to him as Storm forced himself to his feet. “Are you alright?!”

“I’m afraid the void has deemed my free will to be obsolete,” Storm sighed, letting go of his eye, revealing that it had gone completely black. “I don’t know how long I can hang on, but I’ll try my best.”

-

**Day 17: Moving Lines**

As Ryan slept soundly, Edhas took over his body. He opened his eyes, making sure Ryan was still asleep. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

“Hello?” Reporter’s voice came through the phone.

“It’s me,” Edhas said.

“Just who I needed to talk to,” Reporter said. “Something’s starting to happen.”

“I know,” Edhas replied. “I need an order.”

“I know what you need,” Reporter said. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I don’t want to, but I’m not sure if there’s any other way to resolve this,” Edhas sighed, wiping his eyes. “Just get it done.”

“Roger that, asshole,” Reporter said before hanging up.

“Whatever,” Edhas grumbled before letting Ryan take over again, letting the body sink into unconsciousness.

-

Sabrina sighed as she repaired the RSFC HQ for the third time that night. Melody and Ironmouse’s idea of ‘having fun’ was something very different than what Sabrina would consider fun. “Can you guys _please_ lay off the explosions?”

“When can we see Ryan?” Melody asked. “I want to meet him.”

“I guess we can see him today,” Sabrina sighed. “I should be grounding you for stealing Reporter’s android, but whatever.”

“Yay!” Ironmouse cheered, causing another explosion to destroy the RSFC HQ.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Sabrina grumbled to herself.

-

 _“Wake the fuck up, dead beat,”_ Edhas said, waking Ryan up.

 _What crawled up your asshole and died?_ Ryan dragged himself out of bed, cracking his neck and his back.

 _“Nothing really,”_ Edhas said with a sigh. _“I just don’t want to hear your bitching and moaning when you’re late for work.”_

 _Fair enough,_ Ryan heaved a large sigh. _Let’s get this over with._

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said as he opened the door. He never got used to walking in the KFP. No matter how many times he did it, it always put a huge smile on his fice.

“Hey!” Kiara chirped, eating a fried chicken leg. “How did you sleep?”

“I’m a bit sore for some reason, but otherwise I’m alright,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “You know, I missed it back when days were eventful.”

“Ever since I’ve gotten permission to come back to this dimension after dying (read: KFP Chapter 29), I’ve been hoping cooler would happen,” Kiara said. “I don’t have to worry about dying anymore.”

“I have a feeling that my ability to cheat death has run out,” Ryan grumbled. “I mean, Uruha-san could revive me if I died.”

 _“You know, if you revived, I wouldn’t come back with you,”_ Edhas said. _“I have too much magic power to bring back. The only other people that can’t come back are Shade and YAGOO.”_

 _Well that blows,_ Ryan thought. Despite the banter he had with his other half, he could barely remember what life was like without. He felt inseparable to Edhas and he was truly a part of Ryan.

 _“You know I can hear your thoughts,”_ Edhas said smugly, giving Ryan a mental nudge.

 _Since when were you able to do that?_ Ryan asked. He knew Edhas could read his mind, but he didn’t know Edhas can convey things other than just words.

 _“There are a lot of things I can do but don’t care to,”_ Edhas replied. _“Better watch your ass, loser.”_

 _Whatever,_ Ryan thought before remembering he was in the middle of a conversation. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

“Nope,” Kiara shook her head, “but you haven’t changed yet.”

“Oh, my bad,” With a bit of magic channeled outwards, he was in his uniform. “I still can’t get over how convenient magic is.”

“Yeah, yeah, now get behind the counter before I send you to the Usual Room,” Kiara said.

“Yes Tenchou,” Ryan said stiffly before dashing to his manager’s side. He has yet to find out what the Usual Room is and he has absolutely no intentions of finding out after Amelia told him that the Usual Room footage is how Kiara deals with the dark web.

“Morning,” Ryan turned to the door to see Sabrina walking in. “Just a heads up, Ironmouse is coming back.”

“Oh shit,” Ryan groaned, his palm quickly connecting with his face.

“What did you expect? For her to show up once and never come back again?” Sabrina shook her head with a mixture of disappointment and puty.

“I hoped that was the case, but I see that it isn’t,” Ryan sighed.

“I don’t think she’s _that_ bad,” Kiara said, causing her to get confused looks from both Ryan and Sabrina. “She reminds me of me whenever Calli is in the room.”

“That’s fair,” Ryan sighed, shaking his head.

“I’m back!” Ironmouse crashed through the door, an excited look on her face. “And I brought a friend with me!”

“Hello!” A girl with multicolored hair and ocean blue eyes walked in. Ryan noticed her movements were stiff and inconsistent, as if she was still getting used to her body.

 _“That girl,”_ Edhas said with a suspicious tone. _“She’s using one of Reporter’s new magical androids. Reporter shouldn’t have finished preparing those for at least a couple more days.”_

 _Reporter is making magical androids?_ Ryan asked. _So that’s what he’s been up to._

“Welcome back,” Ryan gave Ironmouse his best customer support smile before turning to the girl. “My name is Ryan Shade. What’s yours?”

“You can call me Melody!” The girl said with an enthusiastic voice. “Mousey here has told me a lot about you.”

“You probably shouldn’t believe a word she says about me,” Ryan said. “She probably heavily exaggerates things.”

“There’s nothing I need to exaggerate about those abs-,”

“That’s enough from you,” Ryan cut in quickly. How was she even able to see those? Ryan almost never took off his shirt, only doing so when he absolutely needed to.

 _“She may or may not have followed you home the other day,”_ Edhas said.

 _And you didn’t tell me?!_ Ryan exclaimed in his head, genuinely betrayed.

 _“What? I thought it would make things interesting if I didn’t tell you,”_ Edhas said innocently.

 _Whatever,_ Ryan sighed. There wasn’t anything he could do about it, so he just let it go. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll just have some pancakes,” Melody said, taking a seat. “I don’t know if this android body needs food, but pancakes are amazing.”

“I still have that bowl of pink starburst that I prepared before you left if you want that,” Kiara said to Ironmouse.

“Pretty please?!” Ironmouse instantly directed her attention to Kiara.

“Sure,” Kiara smiled at the small demon girl. “I’ll make the pancakes too while I’m at it.”

“Wait-,” Ryan extended a hand towards his manager, but she was already gone. “Whatever.”

“Hey Ryan,” Sabrina caught his attention. “Are you getting a bad feeling about something?”

“Not really, but Edhas has been in a pissy mood since this morning,” Ryan said.

 _“That’s because something bad_ is _going to happen,”_ Edhas said, a slight growl in his voice. _“I have a really bad feeling.”_

-

“Do you know how long you’re able to hold on?” Grimm asked as he channeled magic into Storm’s body, trying to ward off the entity who was trying to possess his body.

“Probably a week at most,” Storm grunted, looking visibly strained as his black eye flickered white. “What are we going to do when it takes over?”

“I’m sure Edhas has a plan,” Grimm assured his friend. “For now, all we can do is hope.”

-

 _I’m sure it’s nothing,_ Ryan waved Edhas off as Kiara came back with a large stack of pancakes and a bowl of pink starburst.

“How are you even able to cook things so quickly?” Ryan asked as Kiara placed the food on the counter.

“Magic phoenix fire,” Kiara answered simply.

“Makes sense,” Ryan sighed. “I think.”

“Ah, these taste even better in real life!” Melody exclaimed. “Makes me wonder about other things…”

“Break room’s off limits,” Ryan said instantly. He’s already had enough of Kiara and Calli going at it in the room where he eats Oreo and he was _not_ about to let whatever Melody was thinking about to destroy his sanctuary.

“Boo,” Ironmouse said through a mouthful of pink starburst. “I can bang my hot robot wife wherever I want to.”

“Only _I_ get to bang _my_ wife in _my_ break room,” Kiara said firmly. “I might let Ryan use it once he gets a girlfriend… or boyfriend. I won’t judge.”

“Very bold of you to assume I’m going to get a partner,” Ryan said.

 _“Yeah,”_ Edhas knew he couldn’t be heard, but couldn’t help but add his two cents in. _“Even_ I’m _starting to give up on the poor sod. He’s probably going to die alone.”_

 _Can it,_ Ryan grumbled. “Wait, what even was the point of visiting again?”

“Beats me,” Melody and Ironmouse said at the same time, causing Sabrina to facepalm.

-

Flare sighed as she walked into the café, looking around. She was here to meet a friend, but she was kind of ticked off that she was dragged off to the café because she wanted to go on a date with Noel.

“Flare-chan!” Flare turned her head to see a demon girl with wavy, purple hair and amethyst eyes waving at her. Flare walked over and sat down on the seat across from her, eyeing the large glass of beer that was resting on the table.

“I thought we were going out for coffee,” Flare said. “Seriously, Mary-san. You need to work on your alcohol intake.”

“It’s fine!” The demon girl, Mary, waved the elf off as she took a large gulp of booze. “So, do you know why I asked you to come here?”

“I just thought you wanted to hang out,” Flare said. “Speaking of hanging out, where’s Patra-chan?”

“She’s out doing… whatever,” Mary said, a slight slur in her voice. “But that doesn’t really matter! I heard Kiara-chan and Senchou-chan were trying to hook up some guy?”

“Marine-chan told me all about it,” Flare shook her head, remembering the pirate retelling the events that happened that day. She was thankful she wasn’t invited. _I think I owe Noe-chan an extra bowl of gyudon._

“Who is he? What’s he like?” Mary asked, an eager expression on her face. “Maybe he’ll finally be the one. Knowing my luck, he’s probably just another deadbeat.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of him somewhere,” Flare couldn’t help but pity Ryan’s newfound fame. He seemed like a very introverted individual. He seemed fine with talking to the many members of Hololive, but Flare could tell he could be very nervous and uncomfortable when talking to anyone else. “Kiara-chan was trying to find a girlfriend for her employee, Ryan Shade.”

“Oh him?!” Mary exclaimed before giggling slightly. “He’s not bad. Maybe I should stop by the KFP myself. Senchou-chan said they had good booze.”

“Mary-san, your health,” Flare said, a genuinely concerned look on her face.

“I’ll be fine!” Mary said, putting a hand on Flare’s shoulder. “Anyways, how are things with Noel-chan going?”

“I was going to go on a date with her if it weren’t for you,” Flare said sternly.

“Oh, maybe I can come with you!” Mary said. “Noel-chan can be really good at flirting when she wants to be. Maybe I can ask for some tips.”

“Ryan,” Flare rubbed her temples. “I hope you’re ready for what’s going to come.”

-

As Ryan entered his apartment, a shudder went down his spine. _Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen?_

 _“Because something is, dipshit,”_ Edhas said.

 _No,_ Ryan shook his head. _I feel as if my chastity is in danger._

 _“Well, if you’re technically using_ my _body, them-,”_

 _I refuse to let you finish that thought,_ Ryan thought to himself, physically hitting his bed before flopping on his bed. _Seriously, what has my life become?_

-

**Day 18: Hellish Alcoholics**

Ryan sighed as he got out of bed, looking around. He noticed that there was a large cardboard box by the door to his bathroom. It was about his height and about a foot and a half wide. _What the hell is that?_

 _“Don’t worry about that,”_ Edhas said. _“Just something I ordered from reporter.”_

 _How the hell were you able to do that?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Magic,”_ Edhas said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. _“It’s for emergencies.”_

 _You’re being too paranoid,_ Ryan thought to himself, shaking his head. _Well, an insurance policy couldn’t hurt, I guess._

 _“Damn straight,”_ Edhas said. _“Now get to work. I have a good feeling about today.”_

_You know, things never go well whenever you say that._

_“I know.”_

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said as he opened the door to his work. Kiara shot up with an orange box and a video game controller shaped like a fried chicken. “Did you finally manage to make a console? The controller is a bit bulky.”

“Yep!” Kiara’s eyes shone with pride as she looked at her very own gaming console. “I like the controller this way. It’s not like I’m going to sell this or anything. This is my baby.”

“Well, how are you going to get games on it?” Ryan asked as he walked over behind the counter to stand next to his manager. “If you’re not going to sell it, why would game companies want to put their games on it?”

“KFP has a video game branch, you know,” Kiara said, putting the console in one of the many compartments under the counter. “I’ll just make them make games for it.”

“Whatever,” Ryan shrugged. He didn’t know _how_ Kiara managed to make a gaming console, considering the fact that her last two attempts turned out to be a pile of ash and a bunch of scrap metal, but he decided to roll with it. He’s seen weirder things in his day. “Where’s your wife? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“You called?” Calli’s voice suddenly appeared as she stepped through a cloud of dark mist, scythe in hand. She sighed, taking a seat. “Grimm officially named me as Death a couple days ago, so I’ve been really busy. This has only been my second break since the wedding.”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” Ryan shot the reaper a pitying glance.

“It’s fine,” Calli waved her hand dismissively. “I’m a workaholic anyways. I’ll take some wine, please.”

“I order a few extra bottles, just for you~,” Kiara cooed, patting her wife on the head before grabbing a bottle of champagne and a wine glass from underneath the counter. Calli looked like she wanted to protest to Kiara’s head pats but was too tired to do so. “You’ve been working so hard. You deserve a break.”

“I guess so,” Calli gave Kiara a worn smile before taking a sip from her glass. “How have things been here? Hopefully not as busy.”

“Well, the past few days _have_ been interesting,” Ryan said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You know, being a celebrity really sucks.”

“Welcome to my world,” Calli chuckled slightly at Ryan’s displeasure. “At least people like you.”

“There are a lot of people that like you too,” Ryan said. “I mean, being a Shinigami doesn’t help anything, but your music is very popular.”

“Fair enough,” Calli said, pouring herself another glass.

“You drink this stuff way too fast,” Kiara gave Calli an unreadable expression.

“It takes a lot more than a few glasses to get me drunk,” Calli said, shrugging.

“That’s not the problem,” Kiara pouted. Before Calli could open her mouth to reply, the doors opened. Ryan looked up to see a woman with curved horns and purple hair. Her amethyst eyes glinted in the light as her lavender dress flowed from side to side as she walked towards the counter, taking a seat two seats away from Calli.

“Is this the Magical KFP I’ve been hearing so much about?” The woman asked as she leaned in, putting her elbows on the counter as she held her hand up with her hands, a suggestive smile on her face.

“Yes, how so many people keep finding out about it is beyond me,” Ryan said. “My name is Ryan Shade.”

“Ah yes, I’ve heard many things about you,” The woman leaned forward a couple inches, her eyes sparking with interest. “I heard that Senchou-chan was trying to hook you up.”

“Please don’t remind me,” Ryan shot Kiara a glare, who shuffled uncomfortably. “Yes, Kiara and Houshou-san tried to hook me up. It didn’t go so well, though.”

“Interesting,” The woman giggled a bit. “My name is Saionji Mary. I’ve recently had bad luck with men, so when I heard the news, I decided to take a look.”

“Oh, _you’re_ Mary-san!” Kiara exclaimed.

“Do you know her?” Ryan gave Kiara a confused look.

“I heard about you from Flare-senpai and Noel-senpai,” Kiara replied, giving Mary a big smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“They’ve told me some things about you two,” A soft smile grew on Mary’s face as she tilted her head to the side. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

 _“Hey, maybe this whole dating thing might now be a lost cause, after all,”_ Edhas quipped. _“She seems nice enough.”_

 _Not the time, Edhas,_ Ryan grumbled in his head. “First thing’s first, what would you like to order?”

“I’ll have some beer,” Mary said. “A lot of beer.”

 _Of course, there was something,_ Ryan said to himself.

 _“There’s nothing wrong with an alcoholic,”_ Edhas pointed out. _“They’re usually fun to party with… usually.”_

 _Don’t drink and drive, kids,_ Ryan thought to himself before turning to Kiara. “I actually don’t know where the beer is. Do we even have beer?”

“Oh, we have a ton,” Kiara said, walking over to the back room. “I’ll be right back with your order, Mary-san.”

“So,” Ryan shuddered as he turned to Mary. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Saionji-san, I’m not sure if I’m the kind of guy you want to associate with,” Ryan held his hands up, speaking honestly. “I honestly can’t judge what kind of person you are after only knowing you for a couple of minutes, but I’m not exactly normal.”

“Call me Mary,” Mary sighed, rubbing her temples. “At least you’re better than the last few guys I’ve dated. Most of them won’t even treat me with respect. I guess bar-hopping isn’t the best idea when you’re trying to look for marriage, though.”

“That’s fair,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Though he was okay with listening to her problems, he couldn’t help but feel awkward. Ryan was completely inept when it came to romance, people not even showing any kind of interest of him until just recently. He still didn’t know how to handle all of it properly and it really just stressed him out. “I’m really sorry about that, though. Things must have been tough, huh?”

“Thanks,” Mary gave Ryan a soft smile. “You don’t seem too bad, though.”

“My other half would like to disagree with you,” Ryan heaved a sigh.

“Other half?” Mary tilted her head. “You’re taken?”

“I wish it were that simple,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m kind of sharing this body with an alternate version of myself, you see. If you get roped with one of us, you get both of us.”

“That must be… interesting,” Mary said. “Depending on your other half, I might not mind all too much.”

“Really,” Ryan looked slightly shocked. “He’s been trying to hook me up with someone for the past couple weeks or so, so I’m sure you’re making him really happy.”

 _“Damn straight,”_ Edhas said. _“I’m so proud of you, Ryan.”_

 _Shut up, I’m not even sure about this,_ Ryan shot back. _I don’t think I’m even ready for a relationship. I already have enough trouble projecting my feelings to people like Tenchou and Ame. I don’t think entering a relationship would be a healthy idea._

 _“That seems fair,”_ Edhas sighed in defeat. _“I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, I guess. Sure as shit not fun anymore.”_

 _Who are you and what have you done with Edhas?_ Ryan resisted the urge to physically chuckle. _It feel like it was just yesterday when you were kicking the crap out of me and threatening to destroy the world?_

 _“Don’t tempt me,”_ Edhas growled.

“Ryan?” Mary’s voice snapped Ryan back into reality. “Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out.”

“Sorry, I was just conversing with Edhas,” Ryan said. “To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m-.”

“Ara, what’s this?” A familiarly seductive voice cut in as the doors open. Ryan focused his attention to the door to realize that Choco was standing at the entrance to the joint. “Mary-chan trying to steal Ryan from me?”

“Hold on, I never to agreed-,” Ryan stopped when Mary turned to stand, staring the demon nurse down, a smug smile on her face. He sighed. It wasn’t like they were going to listen to him.

“So, what if I am?” Mary asked, crossing her arms. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Perhaps I have to educate you a bit,” Choco said, her magic power rising.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to fight-,”

“Here’s your beer!” Kiara cheered as she ran out of the back room, a large glass pitcher of beer in her hand. She then saw the scene unfold before her. As Mary started to power up, a purple aura started to surround her while Choco’s aura was pink. “Hold on! Let me get another beer!”

As Kiara dashed back into the room, Ryan groaned, connecting his palm with his face. “Why isn’t anyone on my side today?”

-

“Here’s your food,” Aloe offered Storm a bento box. Storm took the box with an appreciative smile on his face.

“Thank you, Aloe,” Storm said, opening it. “I don’t know how long I would have lasted without you.”

“Thank you,” Aloe said, the concern not leaving her eyes. “So, what’s going to happen to you when it takes over?”

“My conscious will cease to be,” Storm looked down, not wanting to look Aloe in the eye as she gasped. “My body will merely become a vessel of its will. I suspect it will go after Ryan and Edhas.”

“I see,” Aloe sat down with Storm. “What are you going to do now?”

“I’ve seen enough death in my time,” Storm chuckled weakly, looking at his hands. “Maybe I’ll just spend these last days in peace.”

“Then I’ll stay here with you,” Aloe said, a weak smile on her face. She was still processing all of this, but she knew Storm. He had accepted the fate of becoming a puppet long ago and she knew it was weighing down on him, but despite that, he decided to go against the void’s orders to save Aloe, and now she is able to see her friends from time to time, which was a chance she never would have gotten if she died normally. She knew that Storm still cared and she knew that she cared about him. She placed a hand on Storm’s, causing him to look up at her. Aloe gave Storm a weak smile. “Till the end.”

“Thank you, Aloe,” Storm said as Aloe pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.”

-

Ryan sighed with relief as he entered his apartment. His apartment was his safe haven where he was safe from fabricated love triangles, crazy immortal managers, and anything else that threatened his peaceful life. _“Oh please, as if your life is anything close to peaceful,”_ Edhas quipped.

 _C’mon, Edhas, let me dream,_ Ryan chuckled.

 _“You know, this isn’t so bad after all,”_ Edhas noted. _“I thought this boring life would be torture, but I’m actually enjoying myself.”_

 _I’m glad you are,_ Ryan said, a small smile on his face as he plopped down on his bed. _Let’s just hope it stays that way._

-

**Day 19: Demon Crabs**

_Since Flare had something to do, I guess it’s alright to meet up with friends,_ Noel thought to herself as she walked into the karaoke bar. She pushed her glasses up with her fingers as she looked around for her friend.

“Noe-chan!” An excited voice called over to her. Noel turned to the source of a voice to see her friend, Suou Patra. Patra had long, silver hair with red streaks with cone-shaped horns and bat-shaped pins in front of the “horns”. She wore her normal outfit, a bra with sleeves and a skirt. “Over here!”

“Patra!” Noel bounded over to her friend, pulling her into a hug. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been alright,” Patra smiled as she returned the hug. She pulled away, looking Noel in the eyes. “I heard what happened in the overworld. I’m sorry I couldn’t join.”

“It’s okay,” Noel said, returning the smile. “We handled the whole MILF thing well enough. I know things are hard in the demon world as well. Have you gotten enough sleep?”

“Ehehe, let’s not worry about that,” Patra rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I’ve heard a lot of things about this new KFP here in the overworld. Multiple people from the demon world journeyed to the overworld just to go. I don’t know why, but I can’t help but be interested.”

“Ah, Kiara has been busy, huh?” Noel rubbed her chin. “It seems Ryan has been attracting a lot of attention ever since people got their hands on footage of the war.”

“Ryan? As in Ryan Shade?” Patra put a finger on her chin, tilting her head in a confused expression. Noel responded with a small nod. “He’s a celebrity, isn’t he? A KFP would be the last place I would expect a celebrity to be working at.”

“I heard he doesn’t like his celebrity status,” Noel replied. “He just wants to live his life without attention from the press. Kiara told me about this one time a raging fangirl went to the restaurant…”

“I see,” Patra didn’t fail to notice Noel’s shudder. “Maybe I’ll check it out sometime soon.”

“That would be nice,” Noel replied. “Now, have you reserved a room yet?”

-

“This is getting a bit monotonous, isn’t it?” Ryan asked himself as he got out of bed.

 _“Well, you_ do _work at a fast food joint,”_ Edhas offered. _“I mean, what did you expect?”_

 _Fair enough,_ Ryan said as he put on his hoodie. _Honestly, I don’t mind. My life has been pretty good since the war. I hope things don’t change._

 _“Well, if you want something, you have to fight for it,”_ Edhas said.

 _Whatever,_ Ryan just chalked Edhas’s words to his itch for a fight, which was probably not far from the truth. He opened the door, looking back. He smiled as he took in the sights of his bland apartment before closing the door.

-

Ryan heaved a sigh as he opened the doors to the KFP. He smiled as he saw Ina turn her head towards him. “Hey Ina,” he smiled as he walked over to the other side of the counter. “Where’s Tenchou?”

“She’s making my Takoyaki,” Ina replied. “How have you been?”

“Things have been alright,” Ryan sighed. “I kind of like working here. Things are eventful, but not too eventful.”

“Humu-humu,” Ina nodded with a satisfied expression on her face.

“So, I heard you hooked up with Nene and Polka,” Ryan said, wiggling his eyebrows. Marine might be constantly horny, but one thing she was good at was getting all the tea on everyone.

“I guess word travels fast,” Ina heaved a sigh.

“Congrats, though,” Ryan placed a hand on Ina’s shoulder, not wanting to put his hand anywhere near the squishy parts of Ina’s hair. “You’re not a loner anymore.”

“I guess that leaves you, huh?” Ina gave Ryan a playful smirk.

“It’s not like I’m looking for a relationship or anything,” Ryan shrugged. “I’m just trying to do my job.”

“There are a lot of people that want you, though,” Ina said as Ryan moved his arm away.

“I know, but I don’t think I’m exactly the best man one would want for a relationship,” Ryan replied. “Plus, I just don’t feel those weird romantic things. Just having you all as my friends is good enough.”

“That means a lot, my little egg,” Kiara smiled as she walked out of the bag room with a plate of Takoyaki.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Ryan sighed as Kiara put the plate in front of Ina.

“You’re going to be my little egg, no matter what,” Kiara ruffled Ryan’s hair.

Ryan turned as he sensed a magic presence to see a demon… crab girl(?) walking in, wearing a bra and sleeves paired with a skirt. Her long, silver hair swayed from side to side as she walked down the restaurant before taking a seat at the counter. “Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said with his best customer service smile.

 _“She’s hot,”_ Edhas noted.

 _Not the time,_ Ryan said in his head, trying to shoo his counterpart off. _I’m trying to work._

“Hello!” The girl chirped with an excited tone. “My name is Suou Patra! Nice to meet you!”

“Ryan Shade, but I’m guessing you already know that,” Ryan said, silently cursing Suisei for uploading footage of him during the war. How was she able to do that while creating large tornadoes of destruction and being a complete psychopath anyway? Ryan banished the thought, not wanting to get sidetracked from his job.

“Yes, you’re quite popular in the demon world,” Patra said. “Though the soldiers you’ve killed don’t like you all too well. Then again, we don’t like them either.”

“That’s fair enough,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The war wasn’t his best moment, considering he got shot in the head a second time. “What would you like to order?”

“I’ll have some crab please!” Patra chirped.

“Alright,” Ryan said, turning to Kiara. “Do you know how to handle crab?”

“Of course! I’ve been honing my culinary expertise for millennia!” Kiara responded excitedly.

“Then why do you run a fast food joint?” Ryan sighed, massaging his temples.

“It was easier to take over the world that way,” Kiara answered without a second thought before walking to the back room to start cooking.

“Kiara’s quite eccentric, huh?” Ryan turned his attention back to Patra as she asked her question.

“Tenchou has always been weird like that,” Ryan responded. “It’s kind of endearing, though.”

“Noe-chan was right,” Patra smiled. “You really don’t act like a celebrity.”

“I’m not sure any celebrity could cook the amount of Gyudon she can inhale,” Ryan quipped.

“That’s one thing,” Patra replied with a small giggle. “I head Nee-chan tried to hook up with you.”

“A lot of people have tried that recently,” Ryan muttered under his breath before raising his voice to a normal speaking volume. “Who are you talking about?”

“Her name is Saionji Mary,” Patra replied.

“Oh yeah,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, remembering the previous day. “She got into a fight with Choco-sensei yesterday.”

“I see,” Patra nodded her head. “You must have given her a lot to drink.”

“Is she not allowed alcohol?” Ryan asked, slightly worried. He didn’t want to be responsible for something bad, whatever it made be.

“No, she tends to drink a lot,” Patra waved her hand dismissively. “She does swear a lot when she gets drunk, though. I’m kind of worried about her.”

“She’s not that bad,” Ryan assured her. “A lot better than some of the people who’ve walked through these doors.”

“That’s good to hear,” Patra replied with a small smile on her face.

“Order’s ready!” Kiara exclaimed as she dashed out of the back room with a plate of crab already picked from the shell and set the plate down, offering Patra a pair of chopsticks.

“Thank you, Kiara,” Patra smiled as she took the pair of chopsticks that Kiara offered and took a bite. “This is really good.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” Kiara smiled. “So, what have you two been talking about?”

“Yesterday,” Ryan replied with a quick tone.

“Honestly I don’t get it,” Kiara shook her head. “Two ladies were at each other’s throat for you and all you did was stop the fight. I honestly don’t get you.”

“I’m not constantly thirsty like you are for a certain reaper,” Ryan gave Kiara a glare before sighing.

“Hey, that reaper is my wife! We can be thirsty for each other whenever we want!” Kiara pouted.

“Fair enough,” Ryan sighed.

“Ryan?” Ryan paled and shuddered as a dark aura took over the room. He slowly and cautiously turned his head towards the entrance of the restaurant as a dark mist enveloped the room. He saw Rushia, her crimson eyes glowing with fury as they darted from Kiara to Patra. “Are you talking to other girls? Why are you talking to other girls? Why aren’t you spending time with me?”

“Rushia, I’m at work. We can spend time with each other later,” Ryan admittedly was terrified of Rushia when she went yandere, but he didn’t like to show it. He saw Rushia as kind of a spoiled child who got what she wanted when she brought out the knife, so he took it upon himself to give the necromancer a bit of a reality check.

“That’s not good enough,” With a soft, green glow, a knife formed itself in Rushia’s grip as she pointed it towards Ryan. “Spend time with me. _Now_.”

 _“You’re on your own for this one, buddy,”_ Edhas said.

 _Wait wha-_ Ryan asked, shocked for a second before heaving a sigh. As badass as Edhas liked to portray himself, he always cowered before angry anime girls. He was completely justified in doing so, but he wasn’t justified in leaving a homie alone like this.

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed as he vaulted over the counted, cracking his neck. “I’ll deal with this. It _is_ my job, after all.”

-

Ryan sighed as he weakly opened the door, cuts littering his body. _You could have at least healed me, you know?_

 _“What can I say?”_ If Edhas had a body, he would have shrugged at Ryan. _“No pain, no gain.”_

 _Have I ever told you how much I hate you?_ Ryan asked as he sat down on a chair. _Whatever, I can heal myself._

Ryan started to feel groggy as he started healing his wounds. _What’s going on?_

 _“You’re running out of mana,”_ Edhas replied. _“Get some rest. I’ll heal you up.”_

 _Oh, now you offer to heal me…_ Ryan trailed off as he closed his eyes, letting his head rest on the table.

 _“Man, you can be a huge idiot sometimes,”_ Edhas muttered as he started pumping magic into Ryan’s body. _“But you’re my idiot, and nothing’s going to change that.”_

-

Meanwhile in an abandoned alley, a scream could be heard. “Get out of my body!” A blond girl shrieked, channeling more magic into her own body.

 _You’re growing weak,_ A voice said in her head. _Soon, there will be nothing left but Hacchamachama!_

  
“I said _get out!_ ” The girl thrusted her hands inside her stomach, but instead of impaling herself like one would expect, her hands went through her body and a purple glow shone through her stomach. She screamed in pain and effort as she yanked her hands out of her body, pulling out a girl that looked identical to her, only wearing a black dress instead of her school outfit. As the girl crashed to the floor, she turned around and limped away as fast as she could.

“Taking me out of your body might stall me for a while, Haato,” The girl on the floor, Haachama said. “But Haachama with catch up with you. Haachama always catches up. Haachama always wins.”

Haato paid Haachama’s words no mind as she turned the corner. _I need to find help,_ she thought to herself as she limped off. She just hoped the world had become more forgiving in the years she has been gone.

-

**Day 20: To Conquer Oneself**

_“Hey Ryan, do you feel that?”_ Edhas’s words woke Ryan up. Ryan sat up; his eyes bleary as he looked around. It took a couple seconds, but he was quickly able to sense the dense demonic aura in the air.

 _Yeah, I feel it,_ Ryan thought back. Usually, most demons and residents of the demon world tried to hide their aura, but it seemed that whatever was emanating the aura was pushing it out as much as possible. _I’ll be sure to be careful today._

As he said that in his head, his phone started to ring. Ryan picked it up to see that Kiara was the one calling him. “Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said. “What’s up?”

“YAGOO called me in for something important so can you run the restaurant for today?” Kiara asked. “It’s an emergency.”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you just close down for today?” Ryan asked. He wasn’t necessarily mad at the fire bird or anything, he was just curious.

“Well, I won’t always be there, so I thought it would be good experience for you to run the joint on your own,” Kiara said.

“You say that as if you’re going to die or something,” Ryan said. “What are you implying?”

“I’m implying that I might take days off to make out with Calli since you don’t want us ground pounding in the break room,” Ryan sighed as Kiara ended her sentence with a pout.

“Fine, fine, I get your point,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively when he in fact, did not get her point.

“Thanks Ryan! You’re the best!” Kiara chirped before hanging up the phone.

“Whatever,” Ryan muttered to himself. Since he still didn’t have a key, he had to teleport. With a bit of magic and a huge sigh, he was gone.

-

Haato clenched her stomach in pain as she turned the corner into an alley. She could sense the demonic aura coming from Haachama slowly approaching her. She couldn’t stop now. Every second she paused was a second Haachama gained. She continued to walk down the alley until she crossed a barrier.

“A barrier?” She wondered to herself. She turned around to see the alley. She didn’t notice anything odd about it. “Maybe I imagined it.”

Haato sighed as she continued to walk down the alley. Every step she took, the pain intensified. Things started to blur as she saw a light at the end of the alley. “Help…?” She muttered to herself as she continued towards the light, forcing herself to stay conscious. As she crossed the threshold, she saw a weird orange building, or that’s what she thought she saw. All she saw was a bunch of blurry colors. As she heard footsteps approaching, she looked up to see a black blur approaching her. Since the demonic aura wasn’t approaching, she could reasonably assume that it wasn’t Haachama.

“H-help…” Was all she managed before the darkness enveloped her world.

-

Ryan scratched his head as he looked at the unconscious girl before her. She looked suspiciously like Haachama, but her hair was styled differently and she wore a school uniform. A white dress shirt with a blue skirt. _What should I do, Edhas?_

 _“She asked for help, didn’t she?”_ Edhas sounded slightly annoyed at Ryan’s lack of common sense. _“Go help her!”_

Ryan sighed, resisting the urge for bonking himself on the head as he picked the girl up and briskly walked over to the counter, placing the girl on top of her. _“She’s suffering from mana exhaustion. Either she’s a mage, or whatever demon we’re dealing with has been sapping magic from others.”_

 _That doesn’t sound good,_ Ryan placed both of his hands on one of the girl’s hands and started pumping magic into her body. A bead of sweat formed on his brow as he spent two whole minutes pumping a consistent amount of mana into her body. Slowly, the girl started to open her eyes. Her eyes drifted over to Ryan before shooting open.

“Hentai!” The girl screeched, slapping Ryan across the face, causing him to stagger backwards. “What the hell were you doing to me?!”

“I was transferring magic energy into your body,” Ryan answered calmly. He wanted to slap her back, but he thought about her situation and refrained. He probably would have done the same thing if he woke up to someone holding his hand. “I’m not your enemy.”

“Oh,” The girl sat up on the counter, giving Ryan a confused expression. “My name is Akai Haato.”

“Ryan Shade,” Ryan replied. “You seemed quite distressed. Is everything alright?”

“Haachama… she’s after me…” Haato shrunk back with a fearful expression on her face. Ryan shuddered, imagining the blonde on a giant tarantula burning down countless soldiers during the war. “Please… I need help…”

“I can imagine why you’re afraid of her,” Ryan put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone hurt you here.”

“Thank you,” Haato looked at Ryan, her eyes still wild with fear. Ryan didn’t know _why_ Haato was so scared of Haachama, but from what he’s heard about her food, Haachama wouldn’t be hurting anyone in here. “What is this place?”

“Oh, this is a KFP,” Ryan said.

“What’s a KFP?” Haato tilted her head with a confused expression.

“You don’t know?” Ryan asked, slightly shocked. “KFP is an international fast food chain run by Takanashi Kiara, one of the richest people on earth.”

“I can’t say I’ve heard of her…” Haato rubbed her chin. “Speaking of fast food, how is Fox Burger King going along? I remember that Fubuki was just starting last time I remember.”

“Fox Burger King has been one of the top burger joints in the world for over a year and a half,” Ryan said, remembering his NEET year. “It was founded five years ago. Do you have a gap in your memory or something?”

“Well…” Haato shuffled uncomfortably. “I only have glimpses of the past few years…”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Ryan offered a kind smile. “I know what it feels like to be kept in the dark.”

“Thank you,” Haato smiled, but the smile instantly turned into a scared expression as the sound of glass shattering permeated throughout the restaurant.

“Shit, the barrier!” Ryan turned around. “You should probably hide, Haato. I got this.”

-

“Alright, so I’ve gathered the strongest people in the Hololive Production here,” YAGOO said. He looked up to see Calli, Ina, Kiara, A-Chan, Matsuri, Coco, Suisei, and Fubuki. “Somehow, Haachama and Haato were able to separate bodies. You all know that Haachama has a Threat Level of SS. If we don’t take action, she very well might destroy the world.”

“Do you know where Haachama is?” A-Chan asked.

“I don’t, but-,” YAGOO was cut off as his eyes widened in shock. “The KFP barrier was broken!”

“Shit!” Kiara instantly flew off, her burning wings flapping as she broke through the wall. YAGOO tried to teleport but was unable to.

“It seems Haachama has blocked entrance through magical means,” YAGOO said. “We must go on foot.”

-

“What are you going to do?!” Haato asked as Ryan turned to the entrance. “It’s Haachama!”

“I’ll figure it out,” Ryan said, heaving a sigh. “Things have been too peaceful here lately, anyways. I was bound for a bit of bad luck right about now.”

“Don’t!” Haato called. “I don’t know you too well, but you don’t seem too bad, I guess. I don’t want you to die.”

“I won’t die,” Ryan assured her. He tensed up as he saw the familiar psychopath walk through the alleyway.

“Haato~,” Haachama said with a creepy voice. “I found you~.”

“Haachama, what have I said about killing people in my KFP?” Ryan said as he walked out of the restaurant, his hands in his pocket. “I can’t let you do that.”

“Jack likes you, but it’s not my fault if you get in my way,” Haachama tilted her head, a creepy smile growing on her face. “Haato is mine.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Ryan held out his hands on either side of him as his magic pistols appeared in his hand, the white pistol in his left hand and his black pistol in his right. “Rules are rules.”

“Maybe I’ll just take your body instead!” Haato shouted as she dashed over to Ryan, her hands catching ablaze. Ryan sidestepped as Haachama tried to grab Ryan’s face. Ryan pointed a pistol to her head and shot her point blank. Ryan scoffed as the hole left in Haachama’s head was made of fire instead of brain matter.

“Haachamachama!” Haachama shouted as she swung her arm at Ryan. Ryan dashed backwards, barely outpacing the wave of fire coming at him. He concentrated on his guns and pulled the triggers. The guns shot out a stream of water that put the fire directly in front of him out.

 _You want in?_ Ryan asked his counterpart.

 _“I want to see you fight first,”_ Edhas said.

 _Suit yourself,_ Ryan tensed up as Haachama summoned her giant tarantula with a burst of fire.

“I’ve always hated that thing,” Ryan muttered to himself as he spun his pistols in his hand. He dashed towards the spider that was twice his size, strafing to the side as the spider tried to impale him with its leg. He jumped up, shooting the spider’s head with highly pressurized shots of waters. The shots pieced the spider, causing the spider to evaporate slowly.

“Haaton Prime!” Haachama called out as the spider completely evaporated. “Hacchama’ll kill you!”

Ryan gulped as a cyclone of fire engulfed the area, leaving the two combatants inside the cyclone. Jets of flame jutted from the inside of the cyclone, launching themselves towards Ryan. Ryan dashed to the side, dodging one and jumped over another one. His eyes widened as he realized a third was heading towards him. He crossed his arms as the pillar of flame slammed him into the ground, causing the earth to crack.

 _“Want to phone a friend?”_ Edhas asked as Ryan struggled through the flames.

 _That would be nice!_ Ryan managed as he started pushing the torrent of flames back as he coated his arms with magic energy.

“Finally,” Ryan’s eyes turned purple as Edhas tool over. With just a blast of pressurized wind, the pillar of flames dispersed.

“What’s this?” Haachama looked at Edhas with a look of rage and a hint of intrigue. “Are you Ryan’s demon, then?”

“I’m not a demon,” Edhas’s gaze softened when he saw Haachama. He saw someone not unlike him. Someone who was trapped in someone else’s body and was just taking her anger out on the world. “You don’t have to be either.”

“That’s what everyone calls me,” Haachama replied. “Demon, Psycho, Eldritch Baby.”

“Do you want to be those things?” Edhas asked, a white sword forming in his right hand as he cut another pillar of flame with ease.

“Haachama is all of those things and worse!” Haachama yelled as the cyclone collapsed itself onto Edhas.

“Why don’t you do both of us a favor and stop lying to yourself?” Edhas said calmly as he dispelled the burning mass of blades with a few slashes of his sword. “What do you really want?”

“I…” Haachama’s voice trailed off as her knees started to shake. “What do I want…?”

Edhas walked over to Haachama, dispelling his sword with a small flash of light. “You should talk it over with your other half. Sure, things may not be ideal now, but you two can’t live with each other. Trust me, I know from experience.”

-

Haato poked her head up from behind the counter as she heard the doors open. She didn’t want to see her new acquaintance get roasted alive by her psychotic counterpart. Her face paled when she noticed Ryan walking in with Haachama, his eyes a deep purple. She was surprised to see that Haachama wasn’t shouting or even smiling, having a sort of guilty look as she looked at the floor.

“Haato, please take a seat with us,” Ryan said as he pulled a chair for Haachama, which she just sat down without a word. Haato tentatively sat down on the opposite side of Haachama. “I’m not sure if you know, but I’m not Ryan. I’m sharing this body with him. My name is Edhas.”

“So, you’re trapped in in a body you can’t control as well?” Haato looked at Edhas with pity.

“It’s honestly not that bad,” Edhas smiled softly at Haato. “Tell me. Have you ever tried to talk things out with each other?”

“I-,” Haato gave Edhas a confused look before looking down as she realized she never had. As soon as Haachama entered her body, Haato was instantly terrified. She had treated Haachama as a monster and a devil without actually hearing out what she had to say.

“What is it that you wanted Haachama?” Edhas turned to the other girl.

“I… I wanted to make friends…” Haachama said quietly. “I wasn’t able to stay in the human world without a body… I can’t even stay that long now… so I found a body… my magic and personality are shaped by how I am perceived so when you screamed and called me a devil…”

“It’s okay,” Edhas put a hand on Haachama’s shoulder, coating his hand with magic as Haachama’s body was made of pure fire. “We can still fix this.”

“I’m sorry, Haachama,” Haato said, looking up at her counterpart. “I hope we can start over. I didn’t know…”

“It’s okay…” Haachama looked up at Haato. “Can we still be friends…?”

“Of course,” Haato offered Haachama a smile, offering her hand.

“C-can I really…?” Haachama asked, a burning tear forming in her eye.

“Of course,” Haato said. “I hope we can coexist this time.”

“I would like that,” Haachama said as she grabbed Haato’s hand before turning into fire. The fire absorbed itself before vanishing. “Thank you, Edhas. Thank you for showing me the right way.”

“Well, it takes one to know one, right?” Edhas said. “Let’s go somewhere else so you can get used to this.”

-

As Edhas and Haato walked out, there was a large thud in front of them as Kiara revealed herself. “WHERE’S HAACHAMA?!”

“Relax, Kiara,” Edhas said. “We managed to deal with it.”

At that moment, there was a bright flash of light appeared, revealing YAGOO, Suisei, Calli, Ina, Fubuki, Matsuri, Coco, and A-Chan. “The jammer disappeared,” YAGOO said, looking at Edhas and Haato. “Where did Haachama go?”

“They just needed to sort out their differences,” Edhas said. “Everything’s okay now.”

“Really?” YAGOO asked. He closed his eyes, sensing for something before opening them after a short moment. “It seems so. Thank you, Edhas.”

“Just wanted to help out my kind,” Edhas said with a smile.

“It’s been a while, YAGOO,” Haato offered YAGOO a smile. “Am I still employed?”

“Of course,” YAGOO smiled back. “Come, let’s go. We need to get you two situated.”

-

“Well, that was eventful,” Ryan said as he regained control of his body. YAGOO and everyone had just left, leaving Kiara and Ryan alone. Kiara looked at Ryan for a couple of seconds before pounding his head.

“You idiot!” Kiara yelled as Ryan rubbed his head. “You could have died!”

“Eh, that’s nothing new,” Ryan shrugged it off. “I may not be the best person on this planet, but if I can help someone, I would like to.”

“That may be true,” Kiara ruffled his hair. “But you are my little egg. And some things never change.”

“You’re right,” Ryan said with a smile. “Some things never do.”

-

**Day 21: A Mother’s Love**

Last time on KFP: Double Back

_“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?!” Subaru exclaimed. “Why did you have to drag me into this?! Ui-mama is going to go ballistic!”_

_“Shit!” Kiara and Marine said at once. Kiara grabbed her notebook, hastily crossing off Subaru’s name._

_“If you don’t live to the end of the week, then I apologize in advance,” Kiara turned to Ryan._

_“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled. “It’s not like I’m not used to it.”_

_-_

_In an unknown location, Shigure Ui sharpened a knife, an annoyed smile on her face. “Who tried to sully the purity of my daughter…?”_

-

Ui twirled her knife around her fingers, tossing it up and down as she walked down the street. “Are you sure, Subaru?”

“For the last time, Ui-mama, I’m sure!” Subaru shouted. “There was no one trying to hook me up!”

“Something tells me that you’re lying to me,” Ui gave Subaru a sideways glance, her emerald eyes glowing slightly in the daylight. “Tell me the truth.”

“Okay, I was added onto a list that Kiara and Senchou made, but the immediately crossed my name out as soon as I walked in!” Subaru defended. “They didn’t try to hook me up!”

“That’s still too much,” Ui said. “Tell me where they are.”

“Ui-mama, you can’t expect me to-,”

“Tell me where they are,” Ui stopped to glare at her “daughter”, her eyes glowing brighter as a murderous aura emanated from the supposed high school student.

“Fine, but they don’t open for a little while,” Subaru said. “Follow me.”

-

Ryan sighed as he walked down the street. _Yesterday was eventful, huh?_

 _“A bit too sentimental for my taste,”_ Edhas said. _“I would have preferred a good old-fashioned fight to be honest.”_

 _You’ve grown a lot, though,_ Ryan smiled softly. _You were so impulsive back then. Feels like yesterday._

 _“You have the right to remain silent,”_ Edhas said in a monotone voice. _“Do you think that’ll be good enough for Roboco-san?”_

 _You already saw Roboco-san’s expression to the mere notion of dating me,_ Ryan pointed out. _I’d doubt you have a chance. Plus, I don’t think your aggressive nature would be right for her. She’s too pure._

 _“I guess you’re right,”_ Edhas heaved a mental sigh. _“Will I never be able to be in a relationship again?”_

 _Maybe if you flirt with Subaru, that Ui person would hook you up with Calli,_ Ryan quipped.

 _“You know you would die with me,”_ Edhas shot back.

 _It would totally worth it to see your egotistical ass ripped to bloody Sunday,_ Ryan said.

 _“Fair enough,”_ Edhas said Ryan turned to the alley leading to the KFP. As he did, he felt a shiver down his spine.

“What was that?” Ryan asked aloud.

 _“Probably nothing,”_ Edhas said, holding back a snicker. Fortunately, if Ryan noticed, he didn’t react. He just shrugged and started his journey down the alley.

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called as Ryan opened the door. “Are you feeling alright after yesterday?

“I’m feeling alright,” Ryan said as he joined his manager on the other side of the counter. “Edhas is finally maturing for once.”

“I could tell,” Kiara said. “I don’t want to imagine what things would be like if Edhas wasn’t there to talk things out.”

-

Meanwhile, in an alternate dimension, Haato smiled creepily as Haachama’s head rolled on the floor in her mindscape. She opened her hand and a phone appeared in her grip. She threw aside her knife and tapped on the phone until Twitter opened. “It seems that the Haatons are reacting like I expected,” Haato tilted her head. “Maybe I’ll need to silence them too.”

-

“Yeah, I would rather that thought stay out of my head,” Ryan said, shuddering at the thought of what Haachama would do unrestrained. “Anyways, what happened yesterday?”

“We had to gather to deal with Haachama,” Kiara said. “Luckily, we didn’t have to do anything.”

“I see,” Ryan said. “With luck and a few choice words, Haachama shouldn’t be as threatening anymore.”

“Yeah,” Kiara took out her phone as she heard a ding coming from her pocket. She took one look at the phone and paled. “Shit.”

“What’s up?” Ryan asked. It wasn’t common to see Kiara this scared. She wasn’t even scared when she stared death in the face in the form a giant laser.

“Ui-mama’s coming,” Kiara looked at Ryan, her eyes wild with fear.

“I’ve heard that name a couple times,” Ryan rubbed his chin. “Why is everyone scared of that name?”

“I’m sorry!” The doors slammed open as Subaru ran through the door. “I tried to stop her!”

“Nonsense,” A soft yet crass voice caused a shiver to crawl up Ryan’s spine. He saw a girl that looked eerily similar to Subaru. She was a bit shorter than Subaru, her hair blonde instead of a dark brown. She wore a beret instead of a cap and had a school uniform on. Her eyes were a piercing emerald that permeated through Ryan, as if she was staring into his very soul. “She couldn’t have stopped me anyways.”

“U-Ui-mama!” Kiara stiffened slightly. Though the girl was intimidating, Ryan didn’t know why Kiara was so scared. He just looked between the girl and the phoenix with a confused expression. “What brings you here?!”

Ryan directed solely to her as Ui walked up to him, stopping before the counter. “So, I heard you were trying to hook up with Subaru?” A green aura started to surround the girl as the ground cracked from the sheer pressure emanating from her.

 _“Sorry but you’re on your own for this one,”_ Edhas said as he shrunk into the deepest corners of Ryan’s psyche.

 _Asshole,_ Ryan thought as he assessed his situation. There was only one logical thing he could do.

“Tenchou was the one who organized all of it,” Kiara gasped in shock as Ryan jutted a finger towards her. “I’m just as much of a victim as anyone.”

“How could my Little Egg rat me out like this?” Kiara said, her voice filled with shock.

“Kiara~,” Ui turned to Kiara, who stiffened as she saw the girl’s twitching smile. “Can you please lead me to the Usual Room?”

“Yes, Ui-mama,” Kiara slumped, a defeated expression on her face.

-

“Sorry about that!” Ui walked out of the back room, dragging a seemingly unharmed Kiara behind her, who had a comical number of tears streaming down her face. “I never introduced myself. My name is Shigure Ui. It’s nice to meet you, Ryan. Kiara told me all about you in the Usual Room.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Ryan said as politely as he could. “Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” Ui waved her hand dismissively.

“So,” Ryan turned to Subaru. “What would you two like to eat?”

“Shuba!” Subaru quacked (shuba’ed?), suddenly turning into a duck.

“I’ll just have the birb mild wings,” Ui said.

“Since Tenchou is in no condition to cook,” Ryan cast a pitying glance to Kiara, who was faceplanted on the floor, a puddle of crocodile tears forming around her. “I’ll get the food.”

“Kiara’s just over-reacting, right?” Ui gave Kiara a smile.

“But Ui-mama!” Kiara stood up, a pout on her face. “You killed me!”

“You deserved it,” Ui shot back, her expression unchanging.

“I think you two should sort this out on your own,” Ryan said, inching away. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait! Ryan!” Kiara extended an arm towards Ryan, her face contorting in anguish. At this point, Ryan was sprinting for the back room door. “Ryan! You traitor!”

-

“How the hell did you get in here?” Grimm was in his own domain, the Phoenix Dimension. The Phoenix Dimension was a sort of pit stop for phoenixes who have died. A phoenix who dies can spend a set amount of time depending on their age and power to communicate with other phoenixes and relax before being sent off to another dimension. For a long time, Kiara was the last phoenix, making the Phoenix Dimension a dull and desolate void, but ever since Grimm officially took over, he has started to turn the Phoenix Dimension into a vast landscape, bringing life to new phoenixes around the multiverse, though since most phoenixes have just been set out into the multiverse, the Phoenix Dimension was practically empty.

“Can’t I stop by to see an old friend?” Nux shrugged, walking up to the ex-reaper. “You’ve been busy, huh?”

“I’ve been doing pretty good, if I do say so myself,” Grimm said as a gigantic fire bird flew through the sky, directing itself towards grim before turning into a human. The phoenix didn’t look too far off from Kiara. She had longer hair, crimson eyes, and wore a blue military outfit instead of a KFP uniform. “How are you liking it here, Hino?”

“This place is great!” Hino exclaimed. “I just wish Reine can come here with me. Who’s this?”

“This here is a friend who invited himself in,” Grimm shot Nux a look. “It seems we need to have a few words in private, though.”

“Okay! I’ll leave you alone, then,” Hino said before turning back into a gigantic bird of fire and flying off.

“How’s Storm?” Grimm turned back to Nux. Nux’s ear-splitting grin turned into a toothy frown.

“Not good,” Nux replied. “He only has a few days at most.”

“Do you know where his first target would be?” Grimm asked.

“Probably Edhas,” Nux said, his smile returning. “I can’t lie and say things won’t be interesting. Edhas is a flexer after my own heart.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Grimm waved his hand. “Why are you here anyways?”

“I had a few questions considering time travel.”

-

“Shuba!” Subaru exclaimed before she dove into the KFP high-quality duck food.

“Glad you enjoy it, I guess,” Ryan sighed as he placed the Birb Mild Wings in front of Ui. “Here’s your food. Where’s Tenchou?”

“She went to seek comfort from her wife,” Ui said, grabbing a chicken wing with her hands and biting into it. “This isn’t that bad.”

“I try my best,” Ryan said, offering Ui a polite smile.

“You’ve done a lot for the magical community,” Ui said. “The skills you demonstrated during the war were quite astounding.”

“I’m sure Subaru outshone me in every way, though,” Ryan looked at the duck on the counter, remembering the gigantic mecha that Subaru brought to the battlefield.

“Shuba!” Subaru shouted, looking up at Ryan before she dug bag into her food.

“She says you still did great,” Ui translated.

“You can understand her?” Ryan asked.

“Of course,” Ui nodded with a satisfied expression. “She’s my daughter.”

“She’s your _what_?!” Ryan exclaimed. Not a lot surprised him anymore, but Subaru being this seemingly teenager’s daughter was another thing. Before Ui could reply, Ryan could hear a crashing sound from the break room.

“Tenchou…” Ryan rubbed his temples. “I guess I found her.”

“I think you should go deal with that,” Ui said with a slight giggle.

“Thank you,” Ryan said, cracking his knuckles as he walked towards the door to his sanctuary to break off a ground pound.

-

“You can’t possibly mean…” Grimm’s normal scowl was replaced with a look of pure shock. “How certain are you?”

“Pretty certain,” Nux said, chuckling a little. “I’m not flexing when I say this is going to be the greatest arc yet!”

“You and your anime speak,” Grimm said. “This is a serious matter.”

“Oh, my dear chummy pal,” Nux laughed as he softly punched Grimm’s shoulder. “I’m dead serious.”

-

 _“Why do I feel like someone is talking about us?”_ Edhas said as Ryan sneezed.

 _Someone’s always talking about us,_ Ryan said. _Even when we weren’t famous, I was always a topic for discussion._

 _“You’re right,”_ Edhas said. _“It’s probably nothing. You should probably get back to training, though.”_

 _I don’t see the point of this,_ Ryan said.

 _“You can’t always rely on me,”_ Edhas said. _“What if I’m not here anymore?”_

 _I’ll celebrate when you’re out of my mind,_ Ryan said.

 _“Oh, shut up,”_ Edhas scoffed. _“You can’t live without me.”_

 _No,_ Ryan admitted with a slight chuckle. _I guess I can’t._

-

**Day 22: Third Cycle**

“Babysitting?” Lamy asked. She was on the phone while she and Botan were at Lamy’s house, playing Minecraft. “I’m not sure that counts as babysitting.”

“Maybe you can take her to the KFP,” A-Chan offered. “If you ask nicely, maybe Ryan will give you some booze.”

“Booze?!” Lamy exclaimed, causing Botan to look over.

“Lamy, you really need to let up on the booze,” Botan said.

“What did you say?” Lamy’s expression turned dark as an irritated smile spread across her face. She extended her hand, an empty bottle of booze appearing in her hand.

“N-nothing,” Botan said, looking back to her game.

“I’ll let you two sort things out,” A-Chan said before hanging up.

“What did she want?” Botan asked.

“She wants us to babysit.”

-

Ryan looked both ways before crossing the street. He noticed that there were a lot of demihumans that have started to come out of the woodworks and show their true selves. Though it hasn’t been an easy change, things have been going very well. _“You know, you were the one that made this possible,”_ Edhas said.

 _Don’t give me a reason to boost my ego,_ Ryan chuckled softly. Edhas wasn’t exactly lying. If he didn’t go back in time and participate in the war, who knows what could have happened.

 _“Just saying the truth, my man,”_ Edhas said as Ryan turned to the alley.

 _Well now that I’ve done my part, I guess I can go enjoy my life as a KFP worker,_ Ryan said as he started walking down the alley.

 _“It’s a boring life, but it’s not mine, so I have no right to complain,”_ Edhas said with a chuckle.

_Damn straight._

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he walked into the room.

“Can you help me out over here?!” Kiara called over from the back room.

“Sure, what is it?” Ryan walked over to the back room to see what looked like a metric ton of refrigerated (never frozen) chicken. “Why do I even bother?”

“It’s important to have a surplus of chicken!” Kiara complained as a crow perched itself on her shoulder.

“What’s with the crow?” Ryan asked.

“Am crow!” Kiara exclaimed, the crow cawing in excitement.

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed as he stood beside Kiara and channeled magical energy into his arms, boosting his strength. He knelt down to the giant rectangular package of chicken and lifted it with both hands.

“Thanks, Little Egg!” Kiara patted Ryan’s head as he struggled to move the chicken in the fridge.

“No problem,” Ryan muttered, a scowl on his face. “It’s too early for this.”

“Nonsense!” Kiara slapped Ryan’s back, causing him to flinch. “It’s never too early for chicken!”

Ryan was about to retort but stopped when he heard the doors open. He walked over to the main room to see one of the weirder things that has entered this restaurant. A toddler in a pink dress and sunglasses slowly wheeling in on a tricycle, Botan and Lamy following on either side of her, sunglasses on and arms crossed as if they were bodyguards. “Nanoraaa~! (TL: uwu)” The toddler exclaimed as she rode up to the counter.

“Uhhh… good morning…?” Ryan said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

“Morning, Luna!” Kiara chirped as she skipped over to her employee’s side. “It’s been a while!”

“Hello!” Luna smiled, taking off her sunglasses. She stood up from her tricycle, letting Botan lift her up on one of the stools before looking at Ryan. “Mama and Papa told me a lot of things about you.”

“She’s the princess of the Candy Kingdom,” Kiara informed.

“I see,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m flattered.”

“Can I have some booze?!” Lamy plopped down next to Luna, an excited smile on her face as she ripped the sunglasses from her eyes.

“No drinking in front of Luna,” Botan sat on Luna’s other side, opting to keep her sunglasses on.

“Why not?” Lamy pouted.

“Luna is 0,” Kiara said.

“Fine,” Lamy slumped onto the counter, a depressed expression on her face.

“There, there,” Ryan patted Lamy’s head. “I’m sure we can use magic to extract the alcohol.”

“It’s not the same…” Lamy whined, crocodile tears streaming from her face.

“Well, it’s probably the best you’re going to get,” Ryan said. “Do you want it or not?”

“I’ll take it…” Lamy acquiesced with a sigh.

“So, how have you been?” Kiara asked.

“Bloom is coming up!” Luna cheered. “Matsuri _has_ to notice me after my performance!”

“I’m sure she notices you, but 0 years is too young for even her,” Botan pointed out.

“You’re 0 years old?!” Ryan exclaimed. The tricycle is one thing, but her being 0 years old was another thing all together.

“Nanora!” Luna cheered.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Ryan said.

“Luna’s actually 3,” Kiara said. “Isn’t she cute?”

“Yeah…” Ryan wasn’t one to think babies are cute, but he had to admit that Luna was a little bean.

 _“Maybe we should visit the Candy Kingdom sometime,”_ Edhas said. _“Their candy is heavenly.”_

 _Is there anywhere you haven’t been?_ Ryan asked.

 _“Maybe I’ll tell you one day,”_ Edhas said. _“It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything, but my past… let’s just say I’m proud of a lot of the things I did.”_

 _That’s fair,_ Ryan replied. _I’ll wait until you’re ready. There’s no rush._

 _“Thanks,”_ Edhas said, genuine gratitude in his voice. _“I truly mean it.”_

 _You don’t show this side of you often,_ Ryan said. _It’s a nice change of pace._

 _“Yeah, I guess that means I’m starting to open up,”_ Edhas said. _“It feels… weird. I don’t know if I like it or not. It’s new, that’s for sure.”_

 _You must have had a tough life,_ Ryan noted. He’s never taken the time to think about his past life. He didn’t know whether he was excited or not to find out about it.

 _“You can say that,”_ Edhas said.

“Ryan?” Kiara’s voice snapped Ryan from his conversation. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” Ryan shook his head, dispelling his thoughts. He can think about that kind of stuff later. “I was just talking about Edhas.”

“Edhas…” Luna put her finger on her chin. “I think I’ve heard Papa say that name before.”

“It’s probably nothing,” Ryan quickly said. _What the hell did you do this time?!_

 _“I’ll tell you eventually,”_ Edhas said, heaving a sigh.

 _If you say so,_ Ryan said.

“Alright,” Luna said, nodding her head.

“A-chan asked you to babysit, didn’t she?” Kiara asked.

“Yep,” Botan said. “Totally put a damper on date night, huh?”

“You two are dating?” Ryan asked. Botan and Lamy answered with an eager nod. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Lamy smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I,” Botan said, reaching out behind Luna to grab Lamy’s hand.

Ryan wanted to say ‘not in front of the kids’, but it was just handholding. There were plenty of things lewder than handholding. “That’s sweet. I’m happy for you two.”

“Thank you, Ryan,” Lamy smiled softly. “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”

“To be honest, I’m not exactly sure I want something like that,” Ryan said, scratching his head. “I just don’t feel any of those tingly feelings everyone else feels. I’m not sure if I like it or not.”

“That’s perfectly okay,” Kiara put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “It’s okay to feel what you feel and vice versa. That doesn’t take anything away from you as a person.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said. “You know, I’m really happy that I wound up working here. You guys are all so welcoming.”

“Of course,” Kiara said. “We’re Hololive, a company that accepts everyone, no matter what.”

-

Storm sighed as he looked at a mirror. His other eye was starting to be taken over by the darkness. “It looks like my time is running out, huh?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Aloe asked, putting a hand on Storm’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Storm sighed again, looking his friend in the eye. “I’m content with my life. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. I’m just grateful that I’m going to spend my last days with you.”

“It is my honor to be with you in your last moments, Storm,” Aloe said.

“Man, such a shitty mood in here,” Both of them jumped when Nux’s voice permeated throughout the empty void. “You guys are no fun.”

“Nice to see you too, Nux,” Storm said, turning to the pale man. “Do you have a contingency plan yet?”

“Eh, Edhas’ll deal with it,” Nux said. “He’s actually been planning for something like this for the past couple days. Perhaps not something of your magnitude, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“I see,” Storm smirked. “He’s always been a bright kid. If I was alive, I would have made him my successor in a heartbeat.”

“Not a bad choice,” Nux mused. “I guess all we can do is wait and see.”

**Omake: Honorary Phoenix**

Watame sighed as she felt the life ebb away from her body. Of course, she volunteered herself to let Mio eat her, but that didn’t make dying any more fun. At this point, she became numb to the pain. She wasn’t angry at Mio for killing her or anything. She would do anything for her friends.

“Hey, Watame,” Watame opened her eyes to see Grimm, someone she had grown all too used to seeing. Before Calli took over as Death, Grimm was the one she was sent to meet. Ever since Grimm died, she was sent to see Calli or one of her many subordinates. She looked around, surprised to see that she wasn’t in the empty void that she was used to going to when she died. She was in a lush, lively field leading into a forest a few hundred meters away. The sky was blue with only a few clouds, the sun shining down on them. “Welcome to the Phoenix Dimension.”

“Why am I here?” Watame asked, turning her attention back to Grimm. “I thought you were dead.”

“Well, things have changed,” Grimm said. “I now rule the world of the phoenixes. I’ve been quite busy, you see. How do you like it?”

“It’s nice,” Watame said as a flaming bird flew across the sky. “I like it.”

“That’s good,” Grimm said. “I’ve decided to let you come here instead of purgatory after you died, I feel like you deserve it.”

“Really?” Watame looked at Grimm, slightly shocked. They’ve always been in a love-hate relationship, her not being able to permanently die and all. “I’m not a phoenix, though.”

“You’ve been a very positive influence on your world,” Grimm said. “You’ve made hundreds of thousands of people happy with your actions. I feel like you should be rewarded for that. You’ve always been a selfless person.”

“Thank you,” Watame smiled at Grimm.

“Now, it may be time for you to go soon, but next time you can come here, you can change the flow of time to take a break here,” Grimm said. “I have one more thing for you before you go back to the land of the living.”

“What may that be?” Watame tilted her head, an interested expression on her face. Grimm took out his scythe, a majestic golden weapon, the top part orange and the blade a solidified energy, turquoise in color. He slowly moved the blade until it was hovering over her heart. A bead of sweat dripped down Watame’s forehead, but she stood still. She trusted Grimm.

“With this, I dub Tsunomaki Watame an honorary phoenix,” Grimm said, a small flame forming from the tip and guiding itself into Watame’s body. Watame expected it to be painful, but the flame felt warm. She closed her eyes, basking in the warm, comforting feeling as an orange light overtook her sight.

-

“Watame?” A-chan asked. Watame usually took about eight seconds to respawn, but it had been over thirty, and A-chan was starting to get worried.

“Matsuri, did I kill her?!” Mio exclaimed, a shocked expression on her face. Of course, she tore out her throat and ate her, but she didn’t expect Watame to actually _die_. Suddenly, an orange flame appeared out of nowhere, growing in size until Watame stepped through.

“Watame!” Both Mio and A-chan both tackled their friend in a hug, causing her to topple over.

“Ahhh!” Watame shouted as she fell to the floor, Mio and A-chan piled on top of her. “What’s the big deal?!”

“You were dead for over thirty seconds!” Mio exclaimed. “I thought you were dead!”

“Don’t worry,” Watame smiled as she rubbed her hand on Mio’s head. “I just had someone to see, that’s all.

-

**Day 23: Spending Time Together**

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called through the phone. She hopped out of bed, the first thing she did when she got out of bed was call Ryan.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said through the phone in his normal monotone morning voice. He was a lot more energetic during the day. Kiara knew that Ryan wasn’t as energetic during the day. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to call you to say that I’m not opening the KFP today,” Kiara said. “It’s Valentine’s Day and I want to spend today with Calli.”

“I see,” Ryan said, an understanding tone in his voice. “I hope you two have fun together.”

“Thanks, Ryan!” Kiara said. “I’m happy you understand!”

“I’m going to go back to bed, then,” Ryan said.

“Alright,” Kiara said before hanging up the phone. She then dialed up Calli’s number.

“What’s up?” Calli instantly picked up the phone, which was something she almost never did.

“It’s Valentine’s Day!” Kiara cheered. “What do you want to do today?”

“I don’t know,” Calli said. “Fortunately, someone volunteered to take my job today. I don’t know who, but Lucifer said that he was trustworthy, so I guess it’s fine.”

“That’s great!” Kiara chirped, silently thanking whoever decided to take her job for the day. “Want to make some chocolates together?”

“I have never made chocolates before,” Calli admitted. “Maybe it’ll be fun.”

“I’ll see you in five!” Kiara said before hanging up. She hummed to herself. She was so excited to spend today with Calli.

-

“Morning, Kusotori,” Calli said as Kiara opened the door.

“Calli!” Kiara pulled her wife into a hug, giving her a deep kiss. “I’m so happy you came!”

“I’m happy to be here too,” Calli gave Kiara a small smile before returning the hug. “Now, how do we make these chocolates?”

“I’ve already prepared everything!” Kiara said, grabbing Calli’s hand and leading her over to her kitchen where everything needed for them to make chocolate. “I have everything we need to make chocolate truffes!”

“That sounds nice,” Calli smiled. Of course, she didn’t care what they made, as long as she got to spend time with Kiara. “Where do we start?”

“I’ve already started making the ganache filling. The chocolate is melting into the cream. All you need to do is mix it,” Kiara gestured towards the bowl with melted chocolate and heavy cream. “Would you like to do the honors?”

“Sure,” Calli said, walking over to the bowl and getting the cake mixer and awkwardly swishing it back and forth.

“Here,” Calli blushed as Kiara walked up behind Calli and gently grabbed her hands, resting her head on Calli’s shoulders. “This is how you do it.”

Calli’s blush only deepened as Kiara started to guide Calli’s hands, mixing the ganache. “T-thanks, Kusotori,” Calli said. She still wasn’t used to the intimacy, but she didn’t hate it.

“Now,” Kiara smiled as she stepped back from Calli. “I was going to ask what kind of filling you want, but I think you would pick the chocolate wine.”

“Chocolate wine?” Calli tilted her head. She didn’t know was it was, but she was intrigued by the second word.

“We’re just going to mix chocolate filling with wine,” Kiara said. “I’m sure you’ll love it.”

“You know me so well,” Calli said, eyeing the bottle of her favorite champagne that Kiara had on the table.

“Now, shall we continue?”  
-

Calli and Kiara had finished making the truffles, the only step was waiting for the chocolate to cool down. “What do you want to do now?” Calli asked.

“I wanna cuddle!” Kiara exclaimed. “Let’s go to the bed!”

“Whatever my little dumb bird wants,” Calli said as she let Kiara drag her to her room, flopping on her bed.

“I’m not a little dumb bird!” Kiara pouted as she pulled Calli onto the bed. “I am crow!”

“That you are, my little crow,” Calli smiled, kissing Kiara on the forehead. “I love you, Kiara.”

“I love you too, Calli,” Kiara smiled, kissing Calli on the lips as they wrapped their arms around each other.

-

“Man, it’s been awhile since I’ve done this job,” Edhas said, spinning his black sword with his hand.

 _“You really are a jack of all trades, huh?”_ Ryan asked.

 _Someone had to take over when Grimm was busy getting drunk with Jack,_ Edhas said. _Well, drunk with Jack and Calli._

 _“Since when did she let you call her Calli?”_ Ryan asked.

 _She didn’t,_ Edhas said. _But you don’t always get everything you want in life._

_“Whatever.”_

-

“Ame!” Amelia snapped awake when she heard Gura yell her name. Amelia jumped up, only for her and Gura to bump foreheads.

“Ow!” The both of them recoiled, rubbing their foreheads.

“What was that for?!” Gura whined, tears in her eyes as she had a hand on her forehead.

“You were the one who decided to wake me up like that!” Amelia shot back. “What’s up?”

“It’s Valentine’s Day!” Gura exclaimed. “I wanna do something!”

“What do you want to do?” Amelia asked, cracking her neck and knuckles.

“Teach me how to shoot!” Gura cheered.

“Whatever you want, my little apex predator,” Amelia smiled, rubbing Gura’s head.

“Yay!” Gura hopped out of bed, an excited expression on her face. “Let’s go!”

-

“The gun range is an awfully weird place for two girls to be spending Valentine’s Day,” the receptionist said.

“I want to shoot stuff!” Gura exclaimed.

“What she said,” Amelia jutted a thumb at her wife.

“If you say so,” the receptionist replied, taking the money that Amelia offered him. “Will you be using your own guns?”

“Yep,” Amelia replied.

“Okay,” the receptionist wondered where said guns were, but it wasn’t his job to worry about that. “You have aisle GP.”

“Thanks,” Amelia winked at the man before leading Gura down the aisles until they went to their assigned aisle, GP (Ground Pound). “What do you want to shoot first?”

“Can I use the Ground Pounder?” Gura asked, using her shark (puppy dog) eyes. “Please?”

“Not in public,” Amelia said, patting Gura’s head as she pouted. She opened her head, summoning a pistol. “Here, try this.”

“Okay!” Gura grabbed the gun without hesitation, pointed it at the target and pulled the trigger. It was obvious she wasn’t expecting the recoil, because the pistol few upwards with her hands, sending her staggering back into Amelia’s lap.

“Woah there, tiger,” Amelia patted Gura’s head. “Here, let me help you.”

“I’m a shark! Not a tiger!” Gura protested as Amelia guided Gura’s arms.

“Here you go,” Amelia said, holding Gura’s arms, her floaties resting on Gura’s head. “Pull the trigger.”

“Okay!” Gura pulled the trigger, Amelia pushing her hands down as not to let the recoil overwhelm Gura. Amelia watched the bullet soar until it hit the target, a few centimeters away from the bullseye.

“Wow!” Amelia stood up, patting Gura’s head. “You really are a prodigy at this. Maybe you’ll be better than me after a few years of training.”

“Watch out, Ame! Gura’s coming!” Gura exclaimed, excited to shoot fer first gun.

“Do you want to continue?” Amelia asked.

“Of course.”

-

“That was fun,” Gura said as she and Amelia walked out of the gun range.

“You did pretty good,” Amelia said. “Now, let’s go back home. I have a surprise for you.”

“Really?!” Gura gasped. “Let’s go!”

-

“Uh Ame?” Gura asked, looking around. “Why are we in the backyard?”

“You’ll see,” Amelia opened her hand and summoned her beloved rocket launcher, the Ground Pounder. She loaded three rockets into the launcher and launched them in the air. Instead of making a normal explosion, the rockets exploded into blue and yellow fireworks, spelling the words “I LOVE GURA!”

“Awh, Ame,” Gura tackled Amelia in the hug, kissing her on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Amelia said, rubbing Gura’s head.

“So, when are you going to Ground Pound me?” Gura asked.

“Maybe for your birthday,” Amelia said, chuckling.

-

“You know, that was way too much work,” Ryan said, rubbing his back as his entire body ached. “I didn’t know dead people could be so rowdy.”

 _“Well, you learn something every day,”_ Edhas said. _“Why are you speaking out loud anyways?”_

“I’m in my own apartment,” Ryan said. “I can do whatever the hell I want.

Ryan took out his phone to see he had 100 missed calls. He looked to see who called him to see that Ironmouse, Choco, Mary, Suisei, and a few other people spam called him. “Well, fuck.”

 _“Have fun explaining that,”_ Edhas said. _“You’re on your own.”_

“Traitor!”

-

**Day 24: Denizens of Darkness**

“Hey Nux,” Storm walked up to the pale man.

“What’s up?” Nux had his hands in his pockets, a toothy frown on his face as he stared into the endless void.

“You were planning on visiting Edhas today, right?” Storm asked.

“You know me too well,” Nux said. “You’ve changed.”

“You’ve been here a lot longer than I have,” Storm said. “Still, I guess I must bear the burden, huh?”

“Thanks for that by the way,” Nux said. “You really saved me back then.”

“Don’t mention it,” Storm shoved his hands in his pockets, heaving a sigh. “I’m just sad that I can’t spend more time with you. Your antics never ceased to surprise me.”

“Well, if you’ve been around for as long as I have, you tend to get bored,” Nux smiled at Storm.

“I am, you idiot,” Storm scoffed, offering Nux a small smirk.

“I know,” Nux chuckled. “I better get going.”

“I guess this is the last time we’ll be seeing each other, huh?” Storm looked up.

“Yeah,” The frown returned on Nux’s face. “I’ll see you on the other side, buddy.”

“Nonsense,” Storm said, chuckling weakly. “There isn’t another side where we’re going.”

-

“Ugh, well that was something,” Ryan groaned as the curse of consciousness made itself present to Ryan.

 _“Your fault for being hot,”_ Edhas said. _“Personally, I don’t know_ what _they see in you, but then again, I’m not a girl.”_

 _Same here,_ Ryan thought, standing up. He directed his attention to the giant box that Edhas ordered a few days in the past. _You never told me what that is._

 _“It’s a last resort,”_ Edhas said, his tone darkening. _“With luck, that box will never be opened.”_

 _I’ll just leave things at that;_ Ryan really didn’t want to know what freaked out Edhas to the point where he would have a last resort. Ryan heaved a sigh as he looked at his apartment door. “I don’t want to go to work.”

_“I offered for you to be a dictator, but what did you say?”_

_I enjoy this life,_ Ryan grumbled.

_“Right. Now stop complaining and get that lazy ass of yours to work.”_

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said as he opened the doors to the KFP, a tired expression on his face.

“Morning!” Kiara waved enthusiastically, an abnormally large smile on her face.

“You seem happy,” Ryan noted.

“Why wouldn’t I be happy?” Kiara tilted her head, the huge smile not leaving her face. “I got to cuddle with Calli all night!”

“That sounds fun,” Ryan said, a blank expression on his face as he walked over to the other side of the counter.

“Fun for me,” Kiara said. “Both of us would kill you if you tried to do something like that.”

 _“Like they could kill us,”_ Edhas said.

 _Stop flexing,_ Ryan said. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Kiara said. At that moment, a portal of pure darkness started to form in the middle of the restaurant. Ryan tensed. This feeling was nothing like whenever Calli would pop in. The feeling was akin to Storm whenever he decided to pop in, and Ryan still hadn’t forgiven Storm for his actions the first time around. Even Kiara was a bit on edge.

“Well, well, well,” A man with black eyes and blue irises walked through the portal. His white hair was unruly, his skin the same color as his hair. He wore a mask and red gloves. He wore black shorts with a blue hoodie and a white shirt underneath, topping the outfit off with pink, fluffy sandals. “Hello whamen and gentlewhamen.”

 _“Fuck, not this guy,”_ Edhas groaned.

 _Who is he?_ Ryan asked.

 _“You’ll find out,”_ Edhas said, almost causing Ryan to scoff. “Hello. My name is Ryan Shade.”

“I’m Takanashi Kiara!” Kiara introduced herself. “I run this restaurant!”

“Grimm has told me a lot about you,” the man said. “I’m Nuxanor. You can call me Nux.”

“Well, Nux, what would you like to eat?” Ryan asked as Nux walked over, sitting down on a stool.

“I’m not really here to eat,” Nux said, directing his eccentric eyes towards Ryan. “I wanted to gauge you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ryan said.

“Well, a lot of things have been happening behind the scenes,” Nux sighed, the toothy grin still ever-present on his face. “It seems you and Edhas are going to get involved soon enough.”

 _“That doesn’t sound good,”_ Edhas said.

“That it doesn’t,” Nux said, chuckling.

“Who are you talking to?” Kiara asked, tilting her head with a confused expression on her face.

“So, you can hear Edhas,” Ryan said, give Nux a serious look. Kiara stiffened. Ryan barely talks about Edhas, his other side rarely coming out, but every time he did, the amount of power he exuded was almost suffocation. He easily won any fight he was a part of, even waving off Haachama’s magic as if it was a minor inconvenience. That was reason enough for Kiara to be wary.

“Yep,” Nux said. “In fact, let’s take this conversation elsewhere.”

“Wha-,” Ryan was cut off with a snap of Nux’s fingers. Suddenly, Ryan’s world went black.

-

“Welcome to my world,” Nux’s voice awoke Ryan. He snapped his eyes open to see an empty darkness, almost as if he didn’t open his eyes at all. The only indicator that his eyes weren’t closed was Nux’s figure, standing a couple meters away from Ryan.

“Just as boring as always,” Ryan turned to see… himself. The only difference was that he was wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants to Ryan’s KFP uniform and his eyes were purple.

“Oh, hey Edhas,” Ryan shrugged. “How were you able to get here?”

“Simple,” Edhas said. “I’m basically something akin to an astral projection, courtesy to Nuxanor over here. I’m still in your head, but I’m talking through here instead of there.”

“I see,” Ryan nodded, when he did in fact, not see. He turned back to Nux. “So, why are we here again?”

“Well, I just wanted to gauge you two,” Nux said. “It’s been a while since I’ve talked to you, Edhas.”

“Go cry me a river,” Edhas rolled his eyes. “Why couldn’t you just have ordered some wings and left like a normal person?”

“Well, a lot of things have been going on, you see,” Nux gave Ryan’s counterpart a toothy smile. “I needed to see what you were made of.”

“Alright, I guess,” Edhas said, turning to Ryan. “Sick ‘em.”

“I’m not a fucking dog,” Ryan growled. “Plus, aren’t you stronger than me?”

“Yeah, but I’m basically your super form,” Edhas said. “Just do it.”

“Fine,” Ryan heaved a sigh and opened his hands, summoning his pistols.

“I actually made a few upgrades to those,” Edhas said.

“You did?” Ryan asked.

“What do you think I do while you’re at work?” Edhas asked.

“Fair enough,” Ryan turned to Nux, who was patiently waiting, whistling some outdated meme song. “What did you add?”

Edhas opened his hand, summoning a replica pistol. He flicked his wrist, the barrel of the pistol turning ninety degrees until the whole gun was a straight line. He pulled the trigger and a blade made of concentrated plasma shot out of the barrel. “You can use different spells to get different effects. I also made it more efficient, so you can make stronger blasts with less magic.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said.

“Thank me by kicking his ass,” Edhas said, scoffing in Nux’s direction.

“If you say so,” Ryan turned towards the pale man, strengthening the grip he had around his pistols. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Finally,” Nux heaved a sigh. “With how long you were taking, I bet I could find a Sakura fan before you two were finished.”

“Sakura fans don’t exist,” Ryan said bluntly. “I would know. I spent a year doing nothing but sitting on my ass watching anime.”

“A year?” Nux laughed. “That’s nothing. Just start already.”

“Fine,” Ryan aimed a pistol and fired a beam of magical energy at Nux. He was starting to see why Edhas didn’t like him. Eddas was too broody for someone as chaotic and sporadic as Nux. Nux frowned before literally backhanding the attack, not even looking as the beam flew off into the infinite void.

“Try harder,” Nux said simply. Ryan flicked his wrists, letting the barrels fly up. He pulled the triggers, letting a small, curved blade form themselves. He decided to take a page from Storm’s book and try using two krises, both yellow in color. He dashed towards the pale man, whose smile return as he held out his hand. With blue and white flames, a pale machete revealed itself. Ryan swerved to the side, trying to go for the opening in Nux’s side. He flipped the knife, holding it in a backhand style before taking a stab at Nux’s side. Nux spun the machete, letting it collide with the kris, launching Ryan’s hand upwards. Ryan jumped up, letting the other kris return to gun form. He shot a couple shots at Nux before landing.

“That’s it!” Nux laughed, dashing towards Ryan. Ryan dodged a slash, pointing the gun at his face, pulling the trigger. Somehow, Nux was able to dodge the shot made of light, but Ryan wasn’t done. He turned his whole body, swinging the kris at his face. Nux curved his head backwards, dodging the attack before punching Ryan square in the face, sending him sprawling.

“Not bad,” Nux smiled. “Edhas, you’re up.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Edhas growned, summoning his swords. “But I wanted to fight you anyways.”

“Come,” Nux gave Edhas a toothy grin. Faster than Ryan’s eyes could track, Edhas dashed over, already behind Nux, amethyst eyes glowing as he swung both of his swords at the pale man. Nux’s smirk only grew wider as he blocked the swords without even looking. “It looks like you’re holding back.”

“I wouldn’t want to hurt your precious face,” Edhas said. The two vanished, but Ryan could feel the impact with every strike. The invisible fight went on for a few minutes until Edhas and Nux appeared a couple meters apart. Edhas was cut up and breathing heavily while Nux was standing casually, only a couple scars on his face.

“You’re fine,” Nux said. “You two need to learn how to work together, though, or you’ll never survive what happens next.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Edhas growled.

“Good,” Nux smirked. With a snap of his fingers, a bright light filled Ryan’s vision.

-

Storm screamed in pain, falling to one knee. “Storm! Are you okay?!” Aloe ran over.

“Get away…” Storm managed.

“Let me help!” Aloe begged, putting a hand on Storm’s shoulder.

“Aloe… I’m sorry,” Storm looked at Aloe with pained eyes as the blackness took over his other eye. Storm put a hand on Aloe’s stomach and let out a burst of power. Aloe gasped as she was sent flying backwards.

“I got you!” Grimm dashed forward, catching Aloe before vanishing.

“Finally,” Storm said, his tone noticeably deeper. “Storm’s free will was quite a problem. Now that it’s gone, I can go back to my original plan.”

-

**Day 25: Saying Goodbye**

“I’ve waited long enough for this,” Storm paced around. “Things have gone too far out of control. It needs to return to the void. The first thing I need to do is take out the hugest threats. The first person on my list… Edhas.”

-

Grimm appeared in front of the KFP, holding Aloe. “Are you okay?”

“I think…” Aloe said, her voice shaking. “I knew this was going to happen, but… it doesn’t hurt any less.”

“I know,” Grimm pulled the succubus-in-training into a hug. “Let’s get you to some more friendly faces, alright?”

-

Botan was awaken by knocking on her door. She looked at the time. 5 am. Who could possible need her this early in the morning? She groggily dragged herself out of her bed and dragged her feet to the front door, still in her pajamas. She opened the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What do you want? It’s so ea-,” Botan cut herself off when she saw who it was. A tall, bulky man with his hair combed back followed by Aloe, a large, black cloak wrapped around her. “Aloe!”

Botan tackled her friend into a hug. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Botan…” Aloe tightly gripped her friend, a pained expression on her face. “I’m here.”

Botan looked up to the man, who was smiling down at the two of them. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the man said. “I trust you can take care of her?”

“Sure,” Botan nodded. “I’m sure the others would love to see you again.”

Aloe only replied with a small nod, holding onto her friend as if she would fade away into nothingness at any given moment.

-

 _“Do you feel that?”_ Edhas said as Ryan walked down the street.

 _I don’t,_ Ryan said. _What is it?_

 _“It’s energy coming from the void,”_ Edhas replied. _“It could mean one of two things. Either Nux wants to screw around, or Storm might have gone insane.”_

 _Insane?_ Ryan tilted his head.

 _“Being the void’s vessel isn’t the best for your mental health,”_ Edhas said. _“Storm once told me that being the vessel of the void eats away at your sanity until it completely takes you over, effectively killing your soul.”_

 _That doesn’t sound good,_ Ryan said.

 _“It really isn’t,”_ Edhas said. _“Brace yourself.”_

-

As Ryan walked over to the KFP to open the door, there was a large boom as pure dark energy exploded behind him. He turned around to see black mist spraying in every direction, Storm at the center of it, his eyes black and his ponytail flying rapidly in the wind. “Ah, Ryan. Edhas,” Storm said, his voice several tones deeper than it usually is. “You two are my first obstacle. If I want to return the universe to nothing, I have to kill you first.”

“How cliché,” Ryan said, summoning his guns.

“What the hell is going on here?!” The doors of the KFP flew open, Kiara running out. She looked at Ryan. “What’s going on?”

“Apparently Storm has gone insane and wants to kill us,” Ryan said, shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal. After all, he already dealt with an eldritch horror trying to kill him the other day in Haachama.

“Ah, the phoenix is here as well,” Storm said, pointing a pitch black kris at Kiara. “I get to kill two birds with one knife.”

“Care to help me with this?” Ryan asked, a smirk on his face.

“Well, I need to put on a good example for my employees,” Kiara said, grabbing her sword and shield, letting them flare to life. “I can’t let you have all the fun.”

Ryan nodded as the two of the dashed at Storm. Ryan let the gun in his right hand morph into a combat knife as he slashed at Storm. Storm held up his kris, blocking the strike while crossing his free arm, aiming it towards Kiara. With a blast of dark energy, Kiara was sent flying back. Ryan used a similar strategy he used against Nux and aimed his gun at Storm’s face, firing point blank. Storm just looked at Ryan with his possessed eyes as the blast of magic went right through him. He pushed his Kris upwards, sending Ryan stumbling backwards. Storm then stabbed at Ryan, only to be blocked by Kiara’s shield.

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan smirked, aiming his gun at Storm over Kiara’s shoulder, firing the gun at Storm several times. The blast went through Storm again, as usual.

“Weak,” Storm sent out a wave of dark energy, sending both of them sprawling.

 _“Let me at him!”_ Edhas said.

 _With pleasure,_ Ryan said as his eyes turned purple.

“So, you finally decide to come out,” Storm said, spinning the Kris in his hand. “First, let’s get rid of the nuisance.”

Faster than anyone can react, Storm blasted a beam of darkness at Kiara, instantly punching a giant hole through her torso.

 _“Tenchou!”_ Ryan shouted in his head. Edhas could feel a torrent of rage barrel through his head. Edhas didn’t fight it, letting the rage fuel through him, letting his magic energy increase. _“Kill him!”_

 _With pleasure,_ Edhas growled, switching out Ryan’s guns for his swords, dashing towards Storm.

-

“Guess I died again, huh?” Kiara found herself in the phoenix dimension. She’s been here once before when Ui killed her, but this time, she didn’t have time to hang around. Ryan could be dying out there for all she knew. Storm was someone whose strength was unmatched by anyone Kiara has ever met, including Calli, and Ryan needed all the help she could get.

“Before you go,” Kiara jumped slightly when she heard a voice behind her. She turned around to see Grimm.

“I can’t exactly stay for much longer, Sensei,” Kiara tensed. She didn’t want to be rude to her wife’s mentor, but she really needed to go.

“I know. I just wanted to give you a little something that may help you in your fight,” Grimm held is hand out as if he was to let a bird perch on his index finger. Suddenly, a small, black flame appeared in the shape of a crow. It cawed as it rested on Grimm’s finger before flapping its burning wings and flying straight into Kiara. She gasped as she felt a large amount of power seep into her.

“Thank you,” Kiara smiled as the door to her dimension appeared next to her.

“Go kick some ass, little crow,” Grimm said with a smile as Kiara walked through the door.

-

“This isn’t going good!” Edhas managed, his body mangled and cut.

“You were never able to beat me in the past,” Storm said, looking down at his opponent. “What makes it different now?”

“He has me!” Edhas’s eyes widened in shock as a torrent of black flames barreled into Storm, sending him sprawling. The flames dissipated, revealing Kiara, her hair and outfit a pitch black as her eyes shone in an emerald light. “Am crow!”

“Glad to see you’re alive, Kiara,” Edhas panted as he struggled to his feet.

“What are you talking about?” Kiara turned to Edhas, a confident smile on her face. “I’m a phoenix. We never stay dead.”

“Good to know,” Edhas said, coughing out blood. “Can you keep him occupied? I have one more thing up my sleeve.”

“Sure thing!” Kiara turned to Storm, who had already recovered from Kiara’s attack. Black flames started to form around Kiara until the flames consumed the phoenix completely. The dark flame started to form into a cone as Kiara dived for Storm, intending to impale him with her flames. Storm took out his kris and clashed with the point, an explosion of darkness erupting from the point of collision. While that was going on, Edhas summoned a small remote controller with a big red button and slammed the red button.

“You wanted to know what was in the box?” Edhas smirked as blood dribbled down his chin. Something barreled down from the sky, landing next to Edhas. Edhas’s eyes turned brown as he relinquished control.

“What…?” Ryan was bewildered as to why Edhas relinquish controlled, but he soon found out why when what seemed to be Edhas step out of the smoke, looking down at Ryan’s beaten and battered form.

“It was one of Reporter’s androids,” Edhas said with a smirk. “All I had to do was possess it to gain my own body.”

“Since when were you able to do that…?” Ryan coughed. The wounds from Edhas’s battle flared, causing Ryan immense pain.

“I was always able to do it,” Edhas shrugged. “You know, I considered doing this at first, but I had a lot more fun hanging around with you, Ryan. Thank you.”

“I guess I was good for something, huh?” Ryan closed his eyes, chuckling weakly. “Now, shall we finish this battle?”

“No,” Edhas said sternly, causing Ryan’s eyes to open in shock. Edhas put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and suddenly, all of Ryan’s energy faded. Ryan fell to one knee. He tried to move his limbs, but they wouldn’t, their only response being a searing pain.

“Why are you doing this…?” Ryan asked, tears forming in his eyes. He thought he finally formed a friendship with Edhas, just for him to turn around and betray him. “I thought we were friends.”

“I’m doing this exactly because we _are_ friends,” Edhas said. “Let me be straight with you. I can’t beat Storm. That’s why I got a spare body. I’m going to take the bastard with me.”

“Don’t tell me…!” Ryan said, his eyes widening further as he put the pieces together. “You’ll come back, right?”

“Unfortunately, that isn’t the case,” Edhas said, shaking his head. “Since I’ll be overloading myself with magic, self-destructing will destroy what’s left of my soul as well.”

“Wait!” Ryan shouted, desperation in his eyes as he forced himself to stand. “There has to be another way!”

“Before I go, let me give you a parting gift,” Edhas put his index finger on Ryan’s forehead, letting it slightly glow. “Consider this a mental care package. Now, I have a job to do. Live a good life, Ryan Shade.”

“Don’t go!” Ryan yelled, tears pouring from his eyes as his other half turned around and dashed towards Storm and Kiara, who were still fighting. Kiara was substantially beaten while Storm was only suffering from a couple cuts and burns.

“Thank you for everything,” Edhas said as he grabbed onto Storm. He looked at Kiara, a sad smile on his face. “Take care of the idiot for me, alright?”

The shock only briefly passed through Kiara’s eyes, but the manager quickly grasped what Edhas was saying. An understanding smile crossed her face. “I will,” she said, nodding. “That’s a promise.”

“Good,” Edhas nodded before flying up, Storm still stuck in his grasp.

“Are you really taking me with you?” Storm growled, hammering at Edhas’s back, shockwaves forming with each hit. “How stupid. I can always try again.”

“Fat chance,” Edhas said as he started to glow. “I’ll destroy every molecule of your being.”

“Impossible!” Storm shouted, his strikes becoming faster and more panicked as Edhas glowed brighter. “You can’t do that!”

Edhas smirked as he looked Storm in the eye, his amethyst eyes meeting Storm’s pitch black eyes. “Now, can you do me a favor and please RIP?”

-

Ryan collapsed to his knees as the two exploded into an innumerable number of lavender particles. Tears flowed freely down his face as the particles slowly drifted to the floor. Kiara wordlessly walked over to him, the black in her outfit and hair fading away, replaced by her signature orange. Without saying a word, Kiara got on one knee and pulled her employee into a hug. They had won, but at what cost?

-

**Day ???: Loss**

Ryan awoke to his phone vibrating. He wasn’t sure how many hours or even days have passed since his fight with Storm. The fight where Edhas blew himself up to make sure that Storm wouldn’t come back to wreak havoc. Ryan forced himself to sit up. When the initial grief passed, it was replaced by emptiness. Edhas had lived inside Ryan’s head for a long time now, and him being gone was like Ryan losing a large chunk of his soul. He groggily reached for his phone, picking it up from his nightstand. He scrolled through his unseen messages. A lot of people messaged him, voicing their concerns, but Ryan mostly ignored all of them. The only one Ryan focused on was the one Kiara had sent him.

_“I’m sorry for your loss, Ryan. Feel free to take as many days off as you need. We’ll always be ready to welcome you back with open arms when you’re ready.”_

Ryan sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the sentiment, but he felt as if that time would never come. Edhas was irreplaceable. Ryan could barely remember what it was like living without him. Even when he remembered events that happened before Edhas forced his way into Ryan’s life, he associated each memory on Edhas’s snide remarks about Ryan’s actions during said event. He stood up. “I might as well visit his grave,” he said to himself. He took a step forward, forming a lavender portal in front of him. He stepped through the portal, closing it behind him.

-

Ryan stepped through the portal, revealing the location to be an undisclosed graveyard in America, the same one where the gravestone for Grimm was erected. He walked down the small row of graves, stopping at the one fifth from the end. Ryan had made the grave for Edhas next to Gimm’s. He didn’t know why he did it. Maybe it was because he felt like Edhas should be laid to rest next to his sensei, or maybe it was the slight hope that Edhas would find his way back to the living world, much like Grimm did not too long ago.

“Edhas,” Ryan breathed softly, looking down at the grave.

_Here lies Nyar Edhas_

_Friend, Brother, Protector, Hero_

_A true warrior until the end._

_200X-202X_

_“Get up and fight. You will always have something to fight for.”_

When consulting Sabrina, she told Ryan that the quote was something Edhas said a lot. He found it fit to put on his grave. Not only as his motto, but as a reminder for Ryan. He knew that he had something to fight for. He had Kiara, Amelia, Gura, Calli, Ina, and the rest of the friends he made along the way. Despite that, he couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that filled his entire being. “What should I do?”

That’s when it struck him. The gift that Edhas gave him. He couldn’t bring himself to open it when he first awoke, but he felt that now was an apt time to do it. He closed his eyes, reaching into the depths of his consciousness. Edhas’s gift took the form of a door. All Ryan needed to do was open it. He took a deep breath and opened the mental door.

-

“Heh, so I really did it, huh?” Edhas’s snarky tone caused Ryan to open his eyes. He found himself in a pitch black area, Edhas standing before him. Ryan was familiar with this place. This was his mindscape, the place where they first met. The place where Edhas beat Ryan into a bloody pulp until he convinced Edhas to help him. That was the start of their friendship. “Never thought I would.”

“Edhas?” Ryan asked, a small bit of hope in his voice.

“Sorry if you just said something, but this is a pre-recorded message,” Edhas said, shrugging. Ryan’s shoulders slumped. So, he really was gone, and this recording was the last thing left of him. “You know, I’m pretty sure you’re sitting and moping around.”

Ryan sighed. Edhas really did know Ryan too well. Of course, he did. Edhas was him, after all. “I won’t tell you to stop moping or anything like that. I understand what it’s like to lose someone. After all, I made this to explain what’s in this package,” Edhas shoved his hands in his pockets, smirking at Ryan. Ryan couldn’t help but smile back. At least he could hear Edhas talk this one last time. “I basically copied all of my skills and put it into this little mental package. After this message, you will basically gain all of my fighting prowess. The only thing you will lack is magic power, at this point, but there’s nothing I could do about that, since I had to use all of my magic to blow Storm up. At least I could die knowing that you can protect yourself.”

“Thanks, Edhas,” Ryan knew Edhas couldn’t hear him, but it he wanted to thank Edhas. For all the times they had together, good and bad. All the times that Edhas would crack a joke or make a pervy remark. Though Ryan would reply crassly, he appreciated Edhas’s every effort to better his mood. He appreciated Edhas every time he got Ryan out of a jam. Without Edhas, Ryan would probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. Edhas was a part of Ryan, after all, and Ryan was lost without him. “Thank you for everything.”

“Now, that’s pretty much all I could give you,” Edhas said. “I know you’ll use it well. My last message is this. Live life to your fullest. With what you have now, you can live life any way you want. I’ve already accepted that my life ended a long time ago. This life is yours, and I have no right to butt in on what you want to do with it. Just know that wherever you go, know that you have my blessing. Feel free to use my name or status whenever you need to. Bye, Ryan. It’s been a blast.”

“Goodbye, Edhas,” Ryan closed his eyes, letting a single tear fall to the floor as he turned around, walking away as the projection of Edhas faded away. “Thank you for everything.”

-

“Ryan?” Kiara’s voice snapped Ryan awake. He opened his eyes and turned around to see Ame, Gura, Ina, Calli, and of course, Kiara.

“Hey Tenchou,” Ryan said, his voice still holding a somber tone. He was happy to see Edhas one more time, but the emptiness quickly seeped in once Ryan remembered that he was still dead. He knew that he needed to get off his ass and do something with his life, just as Edhas wanted, but it wasn’t that simple.

“Bloom was today,” Kiara said. “A lot of people were hoping you were coming.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryan shook his head. “I completely forgot.”

“It’s okay,” Kiara put her hands on Ryan’s shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “We know that you’re suffering right now, but we’re here for you.”

“That’s right,” Amelia stepped forward. “We’re your friends, Ryan. We’ll be here for anything you need.”

“You can always talk to us,” Ina nodded her head, making a ‘humu-humu’ noise.

“We got your back whether you like it or not,” Gura said, stepped forward, standing next to Amelia.

“If you ever need anything from us, just ask,” Calli said, standing next to Ina.

“Thank you,” Ryan closed his eyes and looked down, tears forming in his eyes.

“You’re welcome,” Kiara pulled Ryan into a hug, the others joining one by one. “We’ll always be here for you.”

Ryan nodded as he buried himself into Kiara’s shoulder. Edhas was right. Ryan always had something to fight for.

-

Edhas awoke in an endless blackness as far as the eye could see. “Huh, I swear I blew myself up,” he said to himself, looking around. “Where am I?”

“Edhas,” a deep voice boomed. Edhas recognized the voice instantly. It was the voice that spoke through Storm when he was brainwashed. “The void welcomes you.”

“What do you want?” Edhas asked, looking up. Since the voice came from every direction, he didn’t have any particular direction to look at.

“Storm was a failure,” the void replied. “With him gone, I need a new successor. Someone to manage the void in his absence. Someone to be my ambassador. I have selected you to be my herald. Now tell me, will you join, or will you die?”

A smug smirk instantly found itself comfortable on Edhas’s face. He shoved his left hand in his pocket and held his right hand out, making a gesture that needed no interpretation. “FAQ.”

**-The End-**


	3. KFP Return Home

**Day ???: Going Back**

Ryan forced himself out of bed when he heard his alarm. Ever since the death of his alternate personality/best friend Edhas, he had to rely on alarms to wake himself up again. “Ugh, I haven’t used an alarm since my first day at KFP,” he muttered to himself. KFP, or Kiara Friend Phoenix was an international fast food chain ran by the phoenix Takanashi Kiara. Ryan worked at a special KFP, as it was managed by the CEO herself. The KFP Ryan worked at was a meeting place for all kinds of magical creatures, some examples being Calliope Mori, the current incarnation of death and the wife of Kiara, Gawr Gura, the Queen of Atlantis and a nine-thousand year old shark girl, Amelia Watson, the time travelling, trigger happy CEO of Watson Construction and wife to Gura, and Ninomae Ina’nis, the dad joke cracking host of the Old Ones who happened to be a complete chad, getting down with a fennec girl and an alien at the same time. Ryan had done a lot of things since being hired. He travelled through time, fought in a war against the United Nation’s very own monster extermination group called the Magical International Liberation Foundation (MILF for short), conversed with angels, demons, and dragons, form his own harem of yanderes (which he tries his best to avoid), and fought with dragons, eldritch horrors, and the literal incarnation of nothingness. In his endeavors, he gained an alternate personality known as Edhas. Edhas was formed based off the memories that were forcibly repressed from Ryan’s past. He was much stronger than Ryan, being the original owner of the body, but he was also more rash, perverted, and hot-headed. As time went on, the two became close friends, but Edhas sacrificed himself in the battle against Storm, a man that was once Ryan’s ally, but was taken over by the void, or the nothingness that exists outside the physical constraints of this dimension. Ever since then, Ryan has been living day-to-day in a monotonous life. Well, living wouldn’t be the proper term. He was doing something more akin to surviving, considering that the deep well of emptiness refused to fill itself with anything, no matter how hard Ryan tried to find something to make him feel whole again.

“I better get to work before Tenchou chews me out,” Ryan sighed. With a snap of his fingers, he vanished.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan droned as he appeared in the KFP, wearing his standard KFP uniform. The uniform consisted of jeans, brown shoes, and a white dress shirt topped with an orange vest. Ryan used to walk to work every day, enjoying the sights, but ever since Edhas died, the world seemed… gray to Ryan. Almost as if nothing mattered.

“Morning Ryan,” Kiara walked out of the back room, a small smile on her face. Kiara was usually a lot more hyperactive, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for Ryan’s situation. She genuinely cared about her employee, but there was nothing she could do to help. Ryan felt guilty about constantly putting a damper on the mood, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. It’s not like he could just be happy and be done with it. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling alright,” Ryan sighed. Kiara asked the same thing every day and Ryan gave the same answer every time she asked. “I’m sorry… I just…”

“It’s okay,” Kiara pulled Ryan into a hug. “I know things are still tough. You don’t have to push yourself.”

“Thank you,” Ryan hugged Kiara back, burying his face into her shoulder. “Thank you…”

-

Ryan sighed as he walked out of the KFP, just recently clocking out. Today was fairly empty, as usual. Usually, the KFP only had a few customers per day, and today was no different. Calli, Kiara’s wife stopped by briefly to see her wife before going back to work and Ina swung by with Nene and Polka and had their date at the KFP. “What should I do now?” He asked himself. He stopped, taking some time to collect his thoughts. “Maybe I should stop by there.”

With a wave of his hand, a lavender portal appeared in front of him. He took a deep breath and stepped through.

-

In an undisclosed location in America, a lavender portal appeared as Ryan stepped out. He closed the portal without gesturing as he walked down the graveyard, stopping by a gravestone that was the fifth from the end. He looked down, reading the text.

_Here lies Nyar Edhas_

_Friend, Brother, Protector, Hero_

_A true warrior until the end._

_200X-202X_

_“Get up and fight. You will always have something to fight for.”_

Ryan heaved a sigh. He was the one who made the gravestone for Edhas back when he died. This graveyard was dedicated to the Masked Mages, a group that Edhas was a part of. Out of the seven of the Masked Mages, Stoj Grimm, Brianna Edhas, Reporter, and now Edhas have died in the past. The other three had found their way back into the land of the living. He could only hope that Edhas could find his way back to the living world as well.

“Jeez, you’re a mess,” Ryan turned around to see one of his best friends, Amelia Watson. Amelia Watson, in many ways, is the reason why Ryan was alive now. Back when he first started, he was shot in the head by MILF soldiers and if Amelia hadn’t turned back time, he wouldn’t be here today.

“I know,” Ryan ran his hand through his hair, looking down. “It’s just… he was a part of me, you know?”

“I know,” Amelia walked up to Ryan, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve done so much for me. I want to pay you back for everything.”

“You don’t have to,” Ryan looked at Amelia, forcing a smile. “We’re friends, remember?”

“I know, but it hurts to see my friend like this,” Amelia sighed, shaking her head. “That’s why I’m going to give you this.”

Ryan’s eyes widened in shock as Amelia stepped back, moving her hands to her chest. She gingerly took off her necklace, revealing a golden clock. This clock was Amelia’s time travel device. Apparently, this this was the reason that she became a mage in the first place. She never took off her clock, but her she was, offering it to Ryan. “Really…?” Ryan managed, his eyes showing pure shock.

“I don’t need it,” Amelia said with a stern look on her face. “Thanks to you, I have everything I need in life. That namely being my wife, but you were the one who told me to marry her, which is the best decision I made in my life.”

“Thank you,” Ryan took the watch. As soon as Amelia let go of it, the watch started to glow. Ryan averted his eyes as the glow grew too strong for him to look at. When the light died down, Ryan looked back to reveal the clock had turned to a black wristwatch that was attacked to Ryan’s right wrist.

“Huh?” Amelia tilted her head, confused. “That’s never happened before.”

“The clock morphs to fit the user,” both Amelia and Ryan jumped when they heard a voice. They both turned to see Jack, also known as Dragon, the third member of the Masked Mages. Jack wore his standard blue trench coat with a checkered shirt underneath. His black hair was messy and his left eye was covered by an eyepatch, a scar visible from the edges. He wore torn, brown cargo pants and brown dress shoes. He stood at 6’5 or 198 centimeters, towering over both Amelia and Ryan. According to Amelia, Jack was the one who made the clock in the first place. “As soon as Amelia, gave you the clock, the official ownership shifted to you.”

“B-boss!” Amelia stiffened. Ryan assumed she wasn’t allowed to give the watch to anyone. “I-I can explain!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack sighed. “I feel like Ryan could use it more than you can too.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Ryan said, giving the tall man a soft smile.

“No problem,” Jack said. “At least my biggest mistake could be used for good.”

“Jack, I told you not to call it a mistake,” Amelia pouted. “This thing has saved my ass more than once.”

“Still,” Jack sighed. “Whatever. Just imagine when you want to go and turn the knob.”

“Okay,” Ryan said. He opened his hand and a letter appeared in his hand. He handed it to Amelia. “Here. My resignation letter. I have been thinking about quitting for a while.”

“Why don’t you give it to her yourself?” Amelia asked.

“Because if I gave it to her myself,” Ryan turned the knob on the watch and started to glow, “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to leave.”

“Make sure my past self shoots her shot, okay?” Amelia asked. “Don’t let me down.”

“I won’t,” Ryan smiled.

“My past self will know that you came from the future,” Jack said. “When he confronts you, tell him that event 0 went through and you’re back to save 5.”

“Got it,” Ryan said, getting the terminology. “I’ll see you.”

“You better hit me up for a drink,” Jack said.

“That’s a promise,” Ryan said. With a bright flash of light, he was gone.

-

Ryan opened his eyes to see an endless black void. “This isn’t the past,” he said to himself. He instantly started to panic. He already had to deal with the void in the past. Was he dragged in here against his will by the void? There was a very real chance that he wouldn’t make it to his destination if that was the case.

“Relax,” Ryan stiffened as he heard a familiar voice coming from behind him. He turned around to see none other than Nuxanor, a pale man wearing a blue hoodie and black shorts, his skin as pale white as his hair.

“What do you want?” Ryan asked. He didn’t exactly feel threatened by the man, as he wasn’t against Ryan or anything, but he was still tense. As long as he had known Edhas, he’s only lost a fight to one person, and that person was Nux.

“What else?” Nux shrugged. “I want to go with you.”

“Is that even possible?” Ryan asked, tilting his head, slightly surprised. “Why do you want to go back?”

“Why not? It’ll be fun,” Nux said, causing Ryan to facefault in response. “Plus, I have business in the past as well.”

“What business do you have?” Ryan asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes. Knowing Nux, his definition of ‘business’ was making a cult named after one of the most basic names ever and taking over the world.

“Storm was my friend,” Nux said, causing Ryan’s eyes to widen. Not because Nux was friends with Storm, but Storm was _way_ too broody to make any kind of friend, so Nux considering him a friend was something completely out of the blue. “Plus, I just sat on my ass making YouTube videos while shit was going down. I want to be more involved. Maybe I could do some good.”

“That makes sense,” Ryan nodded. “I guess you can come with me.”

“Thanks,” Nux smiled. He walked up to Ryan, putting a hand on his chest. A small blue flame formed at the palm of his hand, slowly entering Ryan. “Here’s a little present for you.”

“What is it?” Ryan asked, putting his hands on his chest, wondering where the flame went.

“It’s basically an on/off switch for you magic,” Nux said. “Storm designed the barrier, so naturally I could bypass it.”

“Why should I turn my magic off, then?” Ryan asked. “What’s the point of the off switch?”

“With the barrier, people can’t detect that you’re a magic user,” Nux explained. “Remember, everyone thinks you’re a normal human at this point and time.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan smirked. “Thanks, Nux.”

“Well,” Nux returned the smirk as Ryan’s world started to envelop with a bright light. “Let’s get to the meat and potatoes, shall we?”

-

**Omake: Moving Forward**

Kiara was starting to worry. It was 7 am and Ryan was supposed to show up to work three hours ago. She had probably called Ryan about a hundred times. She was considering going to his apartment to see what was going on. She was fearing the worst. As she prepared to exit the joint, the doors opened.

“Hey Kiara,” Amelia walked into the restaurant, her hands in her pockets and a serious expression on her face. “You’re probably wondering where Ryan is.”

“Yes!” Kiara exclaimed. “Do you know where he is?”

“He asked me to give you this,” Amelia took out a letter, handing it to Kiara. “It’ll tell you where he is, I think.”

“You think?” Kiara raised an eyebrow at Amelia as she opened the letter, staring to read.

_“Dear Tenchou,_

_You’re probably wondering where I am, right now. Truth is, I decided to go on a journey. I don’t know exactly where I’m going at this point and time, but I know I need time to discover myself. To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m going to come back. Losing Edhas taught me something. It taught me that I don’t know myself as well as I thought. I need to take this time to discover who I am. I’m very sorry I couldn’t tell this to you personally. Call me selfish, but I didn’t want to see you cry. If I did, I’m not sure I could ever leave. I’m sorry, but I have to do this. The break room is yours to ground pound Calli in now. I guess this is goodbye for now. I hope to see you again._

_Your Little Egg,_

_Ryan Shade_

_P.S I just found out my destination. Looks like there’s not really a way to come back here. I guess this goodbye forever. I really didn’t want it to come to this, but it doesn’t seem like I have a choice. Just know that from everyone I met, you were and have always been my best friend. Thank you for everything._

_P.P.S My last wish is to never let Nyanners into the bathroom ever again.”_

A tear fell down Kiara’s cheek, falling onto the paper as her hands started to shake. “That idiot,” she said to herself. As tears started to fall freely, a small smile grew on her face. “They grow up so fast.”

“I know,” Amelia chuckled, her inner gremlin coming out. “What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” Kiara said, shaking her head. “I’ll probably take a break from this KFP for a while. Spend some time with Calli.”

“Sounds fair,” Amelia said. “I await the reopening.”

-

 _A few months later_ (AN: This segment will be written in the first person. I will explain why in the announcement after this Omake)

The blaring sound of an alarm snapped me from my sleep. I groaned, rolling around in bed before turning off my alarm. I stood up, groaning softly as I stretched. Today was my first day at work. Apparently, there was a KFP not too far from my place that closed down a few months ago that was doing a re-opening. They were looking for employees, so I decided to apply. There was really nothing to lose, considering that the list price was significantly higher than what a normal fast food would normally pay. I was delighted when I got the email saying I got the job. Getting paid 100,000 yen a week… that was 5,200,000 yen (about $52,000) a year. That was amazing pay for unskilled labor. I even got all of the KFP Phoenix Revival Healthcare, which was rated as the best private healthcare service in the world. I looked at my clock.

“5:00?!” I shouted. I was supposed to be at work in half an hour. I threw my clothes on my back and dashed out the door.

-

I ran into the alley that the GPS led me to, not even questioning why it led me to an alley. As I ran, I stumbled as nausea hit me like a truck. I pushed myself to my feet, looking around. I didn’t see anything that would trigger nausea, so I shrugged it off, continuing the journey to the KFP. As I reached the other side of the alleyway, the KFP revealed in all its glory. It didn’t look all too different from a normal KFP, but something felt… off about it. I walked over to the KFP and opened the door.

“Hello…?” I said warily as I stepped in. “I’m here for the new KFP job…?”

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” I jumped back in shock as none other than Takanashi Kiara herself ran out of the back room to greet me.

“CEO?!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?!”

“Just call me Tenchou while you’re here,” Kiara said. “I’m going to be your manager, after all.”

“Really?” I asked, my jaw slack.

“Really,” Kiara said. “Now, let’s get to work.”

-

I panted in exhaustion as I looked at the clock. 5 pm. The day was finally over. Kiara was practically a slave driver, making me do unspeakable things. The people who came in were anything but ordinary either. I’m pretty sure working here for just a day already traumatized me. As I turned to see the corkboard to my left, I saw something interesting.

There was a plaque that said “Best Egg” followed by two pictures. One of them was of a man who couldn’t be any older than me, his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked at the camera with a deadpan expression as Kiara was midair, as if to tackle him. The plaque below the picture said, “Ryan Shade”. There was another picture next to Ryan was a man that looked exactly like Ryan, but with purple eyes. The shot was taken up close. The man had a feral smirk on his face as blood dripped down his forehead. He was holding a white sword in his right hand and he was in a fighting stance. The plaque said, “Nyar Edhas”.

“Hey Tenchou,” I called over.

“What is it?” Kiara asked, walking over to me.

“Who are these people?” I asked, pointing the two people on the corkboard.

“Oh, them,” Kiara smiled fondly, as if remembering a fond memory. “They were my employees before I closed the first time. They were the best employees I’ve ever had. I’d be hard pressed to find better employees. They saved my life more than once, without even asking for extra pay!”

“They sound like nice people,” I smiled, wondering what they were like. “Do you know where they are now?”

“They’re no longer in this world,” Kiara said, her smile fading.

“Oh,” I looked down as well, feeling guilty that I brought them up. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kiara’s smile returned quickly. “I’m sure they would have wanted me to continue running this place. Now prepare to come early tomorrow, newbie! You have some big shoes to fill!”

I groaned. Working here would definitely be an experience.

-

**Announcement**

Now, some of you are probably wondering what the whole point of that Omake was and I wrote it like that. I’ve had plans to announce something like this since the end of KFP, but I felt like this was the best place to put it. I want to expand KFP to you guys! I honestly don’t know if anyone would join this or if anyone even cares, but I’m going to be putting this out anyways. I want to encourage people to write more, so I’m deciding to do this. This timeline of KFP is up for grabs! Anyone can write using everything I’ve built up with KFP, adding it to the official KFP canon. I’m going to be opening up the KFP collection for anyone to add to. If you write using any of my material, I will naturally want to add it to the KFP collection, but if you don’t want to add your work to the collection, then that will be completely fine. Of course, I will ask for permission before I do anything like that. If you want use any of my OCs in your fic, then you have my full permission. If you have any questions or want to ask about a certain character or anything that has to do with KFP, feel free to email me at [ofaruleafodrools@gmail.com](mailto:ofaruleafodrools@gmail.com) or message @burningryan854 on twitter. I’m excited to see what you all will put out!

Still leaving the announcement here for anyone who is interested

-

**Day 001: Back Again**

Ryan groaned as the alarm awoke him. He sat up in his T-shirt and boxers. He grabbed his phone, turning off the alarm and checking the date. He smiled. It worked. He turned on his magic with a thought, snapping his fingers. Instantly, he was in a black hoodie and black sweatpants. He turned off his magic before pocketing his phone. “Man, I can’t get over how convenient this is.”

 _“Hello?”_ Nux’s voice rang in Ryan’s head. _“Testing, testing, one two three.”_

 _Nux?_ Ryan thought.

 _“Yeah, it’s me,”_ Nux said. _“I won’t be around as often as Edhas was, but I’ll be able to communicate with you using telepathy.”_

 _Sounds good,_ Ryan said. _What are you going to do now?_

 _“There are a couple of things I need to do before I settle down in this dimension,”_ Nux said. _“I’ll be able to visit in person tomorrow. Your chicken wings are really good, by the way.”_

 _Alright,_ Ryan said. _Don’t fuck things up too badly, okay?_

 _“No promises,”_ Nux said, chuckling before his voice abruptly cut off.

“Whatever,” Ryan muttered to himself. “Let’s get to work.”

-

Kiara jumped out of bed excitedly. Today was the first day of her new KFP. She was excited to experience the manager life for her own. She’s been to Roberu’s bar a couple times, and if her KFP was going to be anywhere near as chaotic as that place was, she was going to have a great time. She smiled brightly as she picked up her phone. She already made everyone aware of the reunion she had planned, but she wanted to call a particular person, just to make sure she was showing up.

-

Calli groaned as the phone started to ring. She just finished a long stream after a tiring day at scythe swinging classes. With Grimm no longer around, she had to take on all of his responsibilities. He hated him for leaving her like this, but she hated him mostly for dumping all of his responsibilities to her when he died. She looked at her phone, almost hanging up when the stupid bird’s face showed itself. However, something urged her to accept the call.

“What the f-word do you want, Kusotori?” She growled.

“Ah, Calli! You’re as lovely as always!” Kiara cheered, not offput by Calli’s aggressive tone in the slightest. “I just wanted to remind you that the HoloEN reunion was today!”

“Oh crap! I completely forgot about that!” Calli shot up from her bed.

“Even better, I’m hiring someone new to run the place with me!” Kiara cheered.

“They better not flirt with you, or it’s off with their head,” Calli growled.

“Calli,” Kiara sounded shocked. “Does this mean you love me?!”

“N-no!” Calli’s face turned beet red. “I-I’ll see you!”

Calli hung up the phone before slamming her face with a pillow. “What am I doing…?”

-

Amelia woke up to her phone buzzing. She looked to her left to see Gura soundly asleep. She sighed as she softly pried Gura from her. “Shark…” Gura mumbled in her sleep.

“How are you so cute?” Amelia muttered to herself as she looked at her phone. Much to her surprise, it was her old boss, Jack Dragonson that was calling her. She sighed as she got out of bed, walking out to the hallway as to not wake up Gura.

“What’s up?” Amelia asked as she accepted the call.

“Amelia Watson,” Amelia stiffened as Jack spoke. He almost _never_ used her full name. The only time he did was when he was _extremely_ pissed off. “Did you travel back in time?”

“N-no!” Amelia said instantly. “You said to only use it during emergencies, right? There hasn’t been a reason for me to use it at all!”

“I believe you,” Jack said. Amelia sighed in relief. “But that means someone else has gained the ability to travel through time.”

-

Speaking of time travelers, Ryan heaved a sigh as he passed Suisei and Anemachi. No way he would be dumb enough to talk to them at this point and time, where they had no idea who he was. He turned the corner to the alley, walking down. He braced himself for the nausea. Fortunately, he didn’t stumble over when it hit. He rubbed the back of his head, walking the rest of the way. He crossed the threshold, revealing the KFP. No tungsten plating, no burning signs, no explosions. Just the KFP as it was originally built. He looked at his phone. 6:03 am. If Ryan remembered correctly, then Kiara should be arriving-.

“KIKERIKIII~!!!” Ryan jumped slightly as Kiara yelled right behind him. He turned around to see Takanashi Kiara. She looked exactly how he remembered her. She wore her orange vest, one of her gadgets attached to it along with her skirt, the other gadget sealed safely in her belt. She wore her beret and her tiny chef’s hat on head and her earing swayed as she waved. She looked at Ryan with her amber eyes and intoxicating smile. Ryan couldn’t help but smile back.

“Good morning, CEO,” Ryan said, bowing respectfully. “May I ask what you’re doing here?”

“Call me Tenchou while you’re here,” Kiara said. “You must be Ryan Shade, right? You’re going to be working under me here!”

“Now that’s a surprise,” Ryan said, even though he didn’t look surprised. “I didn’t expect the CEO herself to come down and be my manager.”

“Well, this KFP is going to be a bit special,” Kiara winked at Ryan. Ryan was all too familiar with this wink and the glint in her eyes. This was Kiara’s sadistic side. She was preparing to make Ryan endure hellish conditions and introduce him to all of her friends (plus her future wife) without warning him about important things like the giant scythe and the eldritch tentacles. Ryan’s smile grew. He was ready for anything Kiara had to throw at him.

“I’ll be sure to do my best, then,” Ryan said confidently. “I won’t let you down.”

-

Ryan stretched as he finished changing into his KFP uniform. Of course, he was all too used to the white dress shirt, orange vest, blue jeans, brown shoes, and golden name tag (though he missed the AND EDHAS that was on his old one), but usually, he would just change into his uniform with magic, and doing it the old fashioned way made Ryan feel something akin to nostalgia, remembering the days he worked at KFP before he gained his magic. He opened the door to see that Kiara’s to-be wife, Calliope Mori standing in the middle of the room, holding her gigantic scythe.

Ryan tensed as he saw the woman, if only to show that he made a reaction to the weapon. He looked at the tall woman as if he was trying to get a gauge on her. Calli wore a black crown and a shawl that flowed down her back with her pink hair. She wore a black dress covered by a tattered cloak that really put together the whole ‘death’ look she was going for. Of course, the most defining feature of hers was her gigantic… weapon. The scythe was easily two meters long, the blade exceeding one meter long.

“Tenchou,” Ryan looked over to his manager, who looked like she was ready to dive at the reaper. She stopped her actions to give Ryan a confused look. “Are weapons allowed in here?”

“If it’s Calli, it’s completely fine,” Kiara said. “Now, if you excuse me.”

“Oh shit,” Calli muttered, her eyes widening as Kiara flew over the counter, tackling Calli into a hug.

“Calli!” Kiara cheered, nuzzling the Shinigami affectionately. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!”

“Guh!” Calli grunted as she tried to push the phoenix off. “Get the f-word off, Kusotori!”

“But Calli~,” Kiara looked up at Calli, giving her a kissy face. “I want your attention.”

Calli shot Ryan a pleading look, as if he was able to do something about it, but Ryan just offered a shrug. “You two look kind of cute together,” Ryan offered Calli a playful smirk. “Maybe you should get married.”

“G-get what?!” Calli took several steps back, detaching herself from Kiara in the process. “No way in _hell_ would I get married to this stupid bird!”

“Awh, why not~?” Kiara bent over, giving Calli a seductive look. “It’ll be fun~.”

“I officially hate you,” Calli glared at Ryan as the doors flew open.

“OOCHA!” Gura shouted as she kicked the door open. Gura looked as she always did with her short, white hair, her ocean blue eyes, and her oversized shark hoodie, her shark tail swishing out of her hoodie. “What’s up, chum-,”

Gura cut herself off when she saw the scene laid out before her. She instantly took a phone out of her pocket and snapped a picture of Kiara leading seductively towards Calli. “Finally!” She exclaimed, jumping up, raising the phone in the air as celebration. “Evidence!”

“Gura!” Calli dashed for the apex predator. “Give me that f-wording phone!”

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Gura shouted, leading Calli into a chase around the KFP.

“Oh, there’s a new kid,” Ryan tuned his head when he heard a familiar voice. Amelia was smirking at him with that annoying look she had down to a T. She wore her standard outfit, that being a white dress shirt with a red tie, a brown skirt, and a trench coat that was easily three sizes too big. She topped off the outfit with a detective’s cap that poorly hid her messy hair. “Would you mind giving me your mom’s phone number?”

“Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t have a mom,” Ryan said, remembering Edhas’s words. _If that’s the case, then who was calling me all those times when I was a NEET?_

“A shame,” Amelia’s voice snapped Ryan out of his stupor as she expertly weaved her way through the chaos, taking a seat at the counter. “You seem to be taking this quite well.”

“I am?” Ryan asked, genuinely bewildered for about half a second before realizing that this kind of stuff usually doesn’t happen at a KFP. “I actually find this kind of entertaining. Assuming I don’t get beheaded or something, I might actually have fun working here.”

“Now that’s an odd sight,” Amelia rubber her chin, giving Ryan an intense stare. “A human not minding the presence of magical creatures.”

Ryan suddenly remembered that back in this time, magical creatures were heavily discriminated against. He heaved a sigh. He never really understood the bigotry, even when he was just a normal human. I mean, what sane person sees a cat girl and decides to head pat her with bullets instead of using their hands like a normal person? “You know, I never got the whole bigotry thing,” Ryan ran his fingers through his hair. “To be honest, this is probably the most interaction I’ve had with a living being in about a year and from what I’ve seen from the news, I don’t think I want to associate with humans anymore at this point.”

“That’s pretty valid,” Amelia said, resting her elbow on the counter as she let her head rest on the palm of her hand. “I thought there would be more people like you out there. Unfortunately, there isn’t.”

“Wah!” Everyone’s attention was diverted to the store entrance when an adorable cry split through the room. Ina stood at the entrance, her arms wide and tentacles out. “I hath arrived!”

“Oh,” Amelia smiled. “What’s up, Ina? You enjoy your date?”

“Ina had a date?” Kiara immediately stopped bothering Calli and zoomed over to Ina, putting an elbow on her shoulder. “Do tell.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ina’s face flushed as she gently pushed Kiara away with one of her tentacles before sitting down by the counter, directing her attention to Ryan. “Hello! My name is Ninomae Ina’nis! You can call me Ina. What’s yours?”

 _-100 hp! Critical hit!_ Ina was always pure and cute, but something about her ‘wah’ combined with her adorable smile only succeeded in multiplying her cuteness, despite the giant tentacles. “My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan said, giving Ina a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Ina.”

“Name’s Amelia Watson,” Amelia introduced herself with a smug smile. “Forgot to introduce myself there. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“No worries,” Ryan said before looking at the other three. Calli was now chasing Kiara while Gura was recording, laughing her ass off.

“Ahem,” Ryan cleared his throat loudly, causing the three to stop their antics. “Tenchou, we’re on the clock. Can you at least _try_ to act like a store manager?”

“Fine,” Kiara’s shoulders slumped as she walked around the counter, joining Ryan.

“Now, what are your names, since I’m learning them all now,” Ryan said, looking towards Calli and Gura.

“My name is Calliope Mori,” Calli introduced herself. “My friends call me Calli. You’re not one of them.”

“I guess I deserve that,” Ryan shrugged as he turned to Gura. “What about you?”

“A,” Gura opened her mouth, pausing a bit before continuing. “Same-desu! My name is Gawr Gura!”

“Nice to meet you, Gura,” Ryan said as a confident smile crept up his face, as if he’s done all of this before. “Now, what would you like to order?”

-

“Thank you for making it to Biggest Anime Flexes part 69,” Nux said into the microphone as he sat in front of his computer. He was recording the 69th episode of his most popular series, Biggest Anime Flexes. As a Flexsexual, Nux was a master of all things flexing and couldn’t help but share his flex knowledge with the world. “Now, without further ado, let’s get into the meat and pot-,”

Nux was cut off when he heard a large ‘pop’ come from behind him. He pressed the space bar on his computer, pausing the recording before turning around to see… himself…? “Ah shit.”

“Sorry pal,” the other Nux cracked his knuckles before summoning his machete. “But the world’s only big enough for one of us.”

-

“You did a lot better than I expected,” Kiara said as Ryan walked out of the break room, back in his normal clothes.

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan said, stretching his arms. “You put me through quite the workout, though. Can’t say I appreciate it, but a job’s a job.”

“You better get some rest,” Kiara said, a sadistic smile on her face. “We still have more training to go through. I’m going to have to call you in _extra_ early tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kiara waved as Ryan turned to the door and walked out. He only made it a few meters into the alley until he heard footsteps behind him. He stopped dead in his tracks, not caring to look back. “Who are you? I don’t remember you coming into the KFP.”

“So, you’re the one who turned back time, huh?” Ryan turned around at the sound of Jack’s voice. He looked up at the tall, muscular man. “Mind explaining yourself?”

“Event 0,” Ryan said simply. Ryan didn’t miss the tensing of Jack’s muscles as he spoke. “We can’t prevent it without 5.”

“Are you implying that you’re not 5?” Jack asked, his visible eye narrowing.

“I’m not,” Ryan shook his head. “It’s a long story I would rather not get into.”

“Alright,” Jack turned around. “I’ll believe you.”

“If you would refrain from telling anyone, that would be great,” Ryan said. “I would like to keep the first two weeks as similar to the original as possible.”

“I’ll respect your wishes,” Jack said before vanishing in a burst of green flames. Ryan looked up to the sky and sighed.

“I guess this is my second chance. Huh, Edhas?”

-

**Omake: Ryan’s Mom**

"For the last time, mom!" Ryan groaned through the phone. "I'm trading stocks! It's not like I don't have a job!"

"Whatever," Korone scoffed. "It's not my problem if you wanna die."

"Whatever," Ryan said, hanging up the phone in a huff. Korone smiled brightly, looking towards A-Chan.

"Did I do good?" Korone asked.

"You did great," A-Chan said before turning to literally every other Hololive JP star. "Who wants to play the role of Ryan's mom next?"

"Oh, me!" Noel chirped, raising her hand. "I need to work on my sexy mommy voice anyways!"

"Alright," A-Chan pushed her glasses up, writing down on a piece of paper. "Noel, you're up next, but Mio is going after you."

"Aw," Lamy pouted, taking a swig of alcohol. "I wanted to go next."

"I told you, once you bring down your alcohol consumption to 10 bottles of hardcore booze a day, you can have a turn," A-Chan said.

"Fine," Lamy slumped, a defeated expression on her face.

"Now," A-Chan looked at her list that was titled 'Ryan's Mom Acting Schedule'. "Things have been going pretty well."

-

**Day 002: Changes**

Ryan sighed as he sat in his bed, focusing on his magical energy. He couldn’t sleep at all, spending all night planning and trying to raise his magical storage. The “gift” that Edhas gave him turned out to be quite useful. On top of a bunch of useful things like weapon creation and blacksmithing, Edhas also was an expert at magic, gifting Ryan countless techniques to help him with his magic.

 _“Hey Ryan,”_ Nux’s voice rang inside Ryan’s head. _“You awake?”_

 _I’m here,_ Ryan said. _What’s up?_

 _“A few things came up,”_ Nux said. _“I want to take care of a few things before I stop by the KFP. Plus, you need to get reacquainted with all of your friends, right?”_

 _That’s fine,_ Ryan said. _It’s not my job to butt into your business anyways._

 _“Alright,”_ Nux said. _“I’ll check in to see how things are going tomorrow, kay?”_

 _Alright,_ Ryan stood up, stretching. He turned his head when he heard a knock on the door. He tilted his head before tensing. _I don’t remember anyone knocking on the door in the morning._

Ryan inched towards the door, having the switch to his magic ready at a moment’s notice. He was aware that a MILF soldier was going to come later that day, but he didn’t remember someone coming in the morning. In fact, Ryan didn’t remember _anyone_ coming to visit him in the morning. He almost sighed when he realized his door didn’t have a peephole. He really needed to change that. He opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah, are you Ryan Shade?” The man before him was about his height, his dirty blond hair in a mess. He wore a light brown T-shirt, the shade of brown akin to the color of sand on a desert and cargo shorts, topping the outfit off with brown sneakers. The thing Ryan focused on though was the man’s eyes. His crimson eyes bore into Ryan. Ryan vaguely remembered seeing this person at Kiara’s wedding. Edhas referred to him as the ‘legendary sand bird’. Ryan didn’t know who he was, but if Edhas knew him, chances were that he was an ally.

“Yeah, what do you-,” Ryan was cut off when he was slammed to the wall, the sand bird’s right arm being replaced by a torrent of sand that pinned Ryan.

“What are your motives?!” The sand bird demanded, a fiery look in his eyes. “What do you want with Kiara?”

“Isn’t it rude to kabedon someone before introducing yourself?” Ryan asked, keeping a calm expression. He knew he could easily break out if he needed, but he only wanted to reveal his magic if he absolutely needed to. “That’s quite forward of you.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” The sand bird replied with a sneer. “I’m just looking out for my friend.”

“Jeez, you’re no fun,” Ryan rolled his eyes. So _that’s_ what it felt like to be on the other side of that. “Truth is, we’re on the same side. I’ve only known Kiara for a day, but she seems like a nice person.”

“I see,” The sand bird’s arm slowly returned to normal, releasing Ryan. “Just call me David.”

“So, David,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “You seem to be quite protective.”

“I know…” David looked down, guilt flashing through his eyes. “It was a while ago, but I proposed to Kiara…”

“You proposed?” Ryan’s eyes slightly widened in shock. He was so used to Kiara being with Calli that he forgot that other people were capable of feeling feelings for his manager.

“Yeah, but it seems that she already has someone else in her heart,” David looked up at Ryan, genuine sadness in his eyes. “I haven’t been able to face her since. The best I can do is protect her from the shadows, taking out any threat that would dare get close to her.”

“Well that just sounds fucking dumb,” Ryan said. He had an incessant urge to bonk David over the head and Ryan decided not to fight that urge.

“Ow!” David rubbed his head in the area where Ryan bonked him. “What was that for?”

“That was for being dumb,” Ryan rubbed his fist. “Why haven’t you talked to her yet?”

“She wouldn’t want to talk to me after I proposed like that,” David said, the sadness creeping back in his eyes. Ryan heaved a sigh and bonked him over the head again.

“How do you know that?” Ryan asked as David rubbed his head in pain.

“Because she…” David trailed off as he tried to find an answer. “I don’t know.”

“Well, let’s go talk to her, then,” Ryan said, grabbing David’s shirt, dragging him along as he headed out. “I don’t want to be late for work so don’t make me regret this decision.”

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called through the phone as Ryan walked down the street, dragging David along with him.

“Jeez, Ryan!” David exclaimed. “You can let go of me now!”

“Who’s that?” Kiara asked. “I heard a voice.”

“I hope you don’t mind me bringing a plus one,” Ryan said. “Found a stray bird and I don’t know what to do with him.”

“What did you just call me?!” David shouted, but Ryan just ignored his comment.

“Birds?” Kiara asked. “I love birds! Go on ahead!”

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan said. “I’m already on my way.”

“Alright! I’ll be in by the time you get there,” Kiara said.

“You don’t know that,” Ryan muttered.

“I already opened up.”

“Oh,” Ryan said. He should have known. “I’ll see you then.”

“How did you know I was a bird?” David asked as Ryan hung up. “Better yet, you barely reacted when I pinned you with my magic. Are you really human?”

“I guess I picked up some stuff with Tenchou,” Ryan shrugged. “Plus, if I’m going to have to deal with the people like the ones I did yesterday, I need to have an open mind.”

“Whatever,” David said. Ryan let go of his shirt and grabbed his ear. “Ow! What the hell are you, an old woman?!”

-

“Morning, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he opened the door, dragging David inside with him. “I brought you a delivery.”

“Hey, Ryan! Who’s this little bird you’ve-,” Kiara skipped out of the back room but stopped in her tracks when she saw who Ryan was dragging. “David?!”

“Hey Kiara…” David rubbed the back of his head, looking down.

“Look up,” Ryan slapped David’s back, causing his head to shoot up as he flinched from the hit. “You screwed up, so now you have to deal with it.”

“You’re not my dad,” David grumbled.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Kiara cheered, her smile widening. “Where have you been all this time?!”

“I…” David looked down for a second before looking Kiara in the eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Kiara put a finger on her chin. “What’s there for you to be sorry about?”

“I’m sorry for running away like I did,” David said, his voice shaking. “After you rejected me like that… I thought that I ruined our friendship. So, I just ran away. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Oh, David,” Kiara walked over, pulling David into a hug, a comforting smile on her face. “You never stopped being my friend. I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thanks, Kiara…” David smiled softly, returning the hug.

-

“So, how did you two meet?” Ryan had decided to go get changed while the two had their heart-to-heart. He had just exited the break room when Kiara asked the question.

“Oh, David knocked on my door this morning before pinning me to a wall,” Ryan said casually, as if he were mentioning something that happened on a daily occurrence. “It was quite an experience.”

“I didn’t know you swung that way, David~,” Kiara winked at her old friend.

“I-it’s not like that!” David turned red, looking away. “He was just being suspicious.”

“Well, he’s special, that’s for sure,” Kiara said.

“Yeah,” Ryan sighed. He remembered when everyone was talking about how he was special at first. He remembered being agitated as to why no one would tell him, but now that he knew why he was special, he felt that it was better that he wasn’t told at that point and time. “I guess I am.”

-

“Wow, you look like shit,” Nux said as he stepped through the endless void. He stood before Grimm who was sitting down by a sign, two doors a few feet away from him on either side. His hair was ruffled and messy, his robes were all torn and ragged, and his scythe was split in half.

“What do you want, Nux?” Grimm growled, looking up to him with wild, feral eyes. “You never cared to visit me after I died.”

“You know, you never denied my point,” Nux said, frowning. As much as he enjoyed cracking jokes, he couldn’t help but pity his friend. He had no idea what being the Ruler of the Phoenix Dimension meant or what he was capable of doing, so he spent his time wallowing in defeat. Only when Kiara died in the war when Grimm realized he was capable of turning his existence around, doing good on his powers.

“That’s because I agree with you,” Grimm said. “I look like shit. What do you expect me to do about it?”

“Did it ever hit you that having your existence bound here would have benefits?” Nux asked. “You’re not powerless, Grimm. All you need to do is take it.”

“I never thought I’d hear that from you,” Grimm sighed, standing up. “Thanks, Nux. I needed that.”

“I guess I’ve changed, huh?” Nux said. “Now get your ass busy. Your students miss you.”

-

“I think I’m going to go now,” David said. “I think I want to move to Japan. I need to get my things sorted.”

“That’s great!” Kiara exclaimed. “I hope to be seeing you here more often.”

“That’s a promise,” David smiled before a whirlwind of sand dusted up, covering him completely. When the sand dispersed, he was gone.

“So, why didn’t you accept his marriage proposal?” Ryan asked. He knew the answer, but Kiara isn’t supposed to know that. “He seems like a nice enough guy.”

“Well,” Kiara smiled fondly, looking down at the small pile of sand on the floor. “I’m already in love with someone else.”

“I see,” Ryan scowled.at the same pile of sand Kiara was looking at. “I’m going to have to clean this up, aren’t I?”

“Yep!”

-

Suisei sighed as she walked down the alleyway. She wanted to stop by the KFP after hours to see Kiara and talk to her about Ryan. He seemed like an interesting fellow from what she’s observed. Furthermore, YAGOO wouldn’t tell her anything more about him other than the fact that ‘he was special’. She was surprised when she saw the exact same man, she was thinking about walking down the other way. She tensed slightly as she passed him. The way he walked… he seemed to be far too careful to be a normal KFP worker. He walked like a trained fighter. It was as if he was ready for a fight any given second. She rubbed her chin as she continued walking. She needed to get more info.

-

Ryan had immediately tensed when he saw Suisei, as he still had bad memories with her stalking him. At first, she was stalking him for information on him, but after the war, she took up a business of taking pictures for the RSFC (Ryan Shade Fan Club). She was frighteningly good at her job. Even though he knew where she was, he never knew when she was taking pictures.

As he walked home, the creeping feeling of being watched started to grow on him. Since he didn’t have his magic on, he didn’t have the ability to sense magic on as well, so he had to rely on his intuition. “I know you’re following me,” he said. “It’s rude to stalk someone without introducing yourself first.”

“I think that beats the point of stalking,” Suisei said as she appeared behind Ryan with a gust of wind. “Now tell me. Who are you?”

“I’m just a KFP worker,” Ryan said. “I’m just a little special, that’s all.”

A tick appeared on Suisei’s forehead. That was the exact thing YAGOO told her. “Don’t think I won’t get more info on you.”

“I know you will,” Ryan said. “Feel free to follow me as much as you like, but if you’re going to stalk me, you might as well just spend the night. I have a few spare blankets in my apartment.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Suisei said. “My name is Hoshimachi Suisei.”

“It’s a pleasure, Suisei,” Ryan chuckled as Suisei vanished. “This is going to be interesting.”

-

As Ryan walked back to his apartment, he saw the MILF soldier at his door, knocking. “I’m sorry,” he said, catching the soldier’s attention. “I was out late. Do you need me?”

“Oh, are you the resident living in this apartment?” The MILF soldier asked. Ryan nodded. “I have reason to believe that you’re in contact with supernatural creatures. Is that true?”

Ryan heaved a sigh, an answer formulating in his head. “I’m a normal, law-abiding citizen. We both know interacting with supernatural creatures are illegal.”

“I see,” the MILF soldier nodded. “Thank you for your honesty.”

“No problem,” Ryan said as the MILF soldier walked away. He heaved a sigh. “Just one thing after the other, isn’t it?”

-

Jerry walked out of the apartment complex, heaving a sigh. He really didn’t like interrogating people like that. He was told to tell everyone he visited that they had reason to believe they were in contact with supernatural creatures. Yeah, MILF had a reason. The reason was that they were all paranoid fucks. It was honestly grating on him.

“So, I see you’re messing with my partner in crime,” Jerry whirled around to see a pale man with a flaming machete. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“W-wait!” Jerry took a step back, pointing his pistol at the man. “I’ll shoot!”

“Whatever,” The man said, swinging his machete. “I don’t have time to play with you.”

“Eh?” Was the last thing that came out of Jerry as his head fell to the floor. The pale man sighed as he walked up to the corpse.

“Now, what should I do with you?”

-

**Day 003: Pamphlets**

Ryan looked at his guns with a satisfied expression on his face. Suisei had left a few hours ago after Ryan pretended to be asleep throughout the night. As soon as she left, Ryan decided to do some upgrades to his guns. With Edhas’s skills, he was able to implement a few things to his guns while adding extensions like a scope. A satisfied smile crept up his face as he nodded. “Humu-humu.”

 _“Please tell me you didn’t just actually do that,”_ Nux said with a disappointed tone.

 _I guess Ina’s been rubbing off on me,_ Ryan said. _How are things going on your end?_

 _“I gave Grimm a bit of a boost,”_ Nux said. _“He’s probably going to start building up the phoenix dimension soon.”_

 _That’s good. Gives Tenchou a place to relax,_ Ryan said. _Plus, it would be nice if he joined the war against MILF._

 _“Why? It’s not like you need his help or anything,”_ Nux pointed out.

 _That’s true, but don’t you think it would be badass to have an army of phoenixes charge into battle?_ Ryan pointed out.

 _“That’s fair,”_ Nux said. “ _Hey, maybe we should try getting as much people on your side as possible? That would be fun.”_

 _Well, it’s not like these first two weeks matter,_ Ryan pointed out. _We’re probably going to be going back in time again anyways._

 _“All the more reason to screw around!”_ Nux cheered.

 _Whatever,_ Ryan grumbled. _It’s not like I could get you to stop, even if I wanted to._

_“Well, at least you’re right about one thing.”_

-

Grimm stood up, closing his eyes. Search within himself… He concentrated on each individual body part, taking deep breaths, despite the fact that there was no air. As Grimm thought about the absurdity of breathing without air, he felt a slight breeze. “Did I just do that?” He asked himself. He searched deeper into his soul to see a burning flame. It was small, but it had potential to grow. “I see.”

Grimm held up his scythe and fire started to envelop the weapon. As the fire started to spread, the wood was replaced by solid gold and the blade gained an aquamarine glow as the steel vanished in favor of concentrated plasma. “This is pretty neat,” Grimm said to himself. As he took a step forward, a tuft of grass started to grow beneath his feat, flowers blossoming around him.

“How ironic,” Grimm chuckled. “Once I was death, but now I must bring life to this empty dimension.”

-

Ryan was already leaning on the wall of the KFP when he got the phone call. “KIKKERIKIII~!!!”

“I’m already here, Tenchou,” Ryan said. “Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m in the back room!” Kiara said. “Let me get the door for you.”

As Ryan hung up the phone, he saw Kiara dash out from the back room, opening the door for Ryan. “Sorry, I didn’t think you would come early.”

“Well, it’s not like I have anywhere else to go,” Ryan shrugged.

“Maybe I should keep this place open 24/7,” Kiara playfully smirked at Ryan. “Then you can stay here all the time.”

“As much as I love working here, I have to cross the line there,” Ryan chuckled.

“Aw, man, I would love to keep you around,” Kiara sighed. “The fun we could have together.”

“You better choose your next words wisely,” Before he knew it, there was a scythe to Ryan’s neck. Ryan heaved a sigh, not even bothering to turn to face Calli.

“You know, with the way you’re acting, I would be hard pressed to believe that you two aren’t married yet,” Ryan said, forcing himself not to chuckle.

“W-what?!” Calli’s scythe wavered. As it did, the scythe approach Ryan, making a small cut on his neck. “Don’t you value your life?!”

“Only during Tenchou’s overtime,” Ryan quipped. Kiara burst out laughing, which sounded like she was constantly gasping for air.

“I don’t even know what to do with you anymore,” Calli removed the scythe from Ryan’s neck, heaving a sigh, the blush not leaving her face.

“I’m proud of you, my Little Egg!” Kiara walked up, slapping Ryan’s shoulder. “You’ve got spunk, that’s for sure!”

“Wow, you’re already giving him a nickname?” Calli asked. “You must really like him.”

“What can I say?” Ryan said, his lips curling upwards in a smirk as he turned his head to look at Calli. “I guess I’m just special”

-

Ryan opened the door back into the main room to see that Calli had left. “You know, Calli’s scythe is supposed to kill anyone who hasn’t experienced death before,” Ryan shuddered as Kiara faced him, her bangs covering her eyes as she spoke with a menacing tone. “Is there something that you’re not quite telling me?”

Ryan took a deep breath. Kiara was already onto him. It’s not like he minded, but he wasn’t sure how Nux would react if he spilt the beans. Plus, he refrained from telling Kiara originally because he didn’t want her to feel obligated to be his friend, and he had a similar philosophy this time around. His mind whirled as he looked around. “I… actually don’t know,” Ryan rubbed the back of his forehead, remembering that he was supposed to be an amnesiac at the time. “Things have a bit fuzzy, honestly. I’m having trouble remembering anything before a year ago.”

“Oh,” Kiara perked up as if she forgot something important. Ryan’s amnesia _was_ kind of a major point at this time. “I see. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “You know, you can be really scary when you want to be.”

“I know!” Kiara chirped as she didn’t give Ryan a death stare that Rushia would be jealous.

“Hellobo~!” Ryan couldn’t help but smile when he heard the greeting of one of his favorite customers. He turned to see Roboco walking in with her normal camo jacket and her (S Tier) pants, wearing her glasses and her attachable bunny ears.

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said, his smile widening. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hellobo~! My name is Roboco and I’m a high-spec robot!” Roboco introduced herself, gracing Ryan and Kiara with her heart-melting smile.

 _-100 hp! Critical hit!_ Ryan managed to hide the effects of the cuteness overload. Ryan didn’t know Roboco too well, but she was the one who helped him get back on track after his first kill, and to Ryan, that was very important.

“What would you like to order, Roboco-san?” Ryan asked.

“Can I have some ramen?” Roboco asked, tilting her head.

“Of course!” Kiara butt in. “Would you like me to use the regular fire or the phoenix fire.”

“What’s the difference?” Ryan asked, tilting his head.

“Phoenix fire makes the food spicier,” Kiara said. “That’s why our Phoenix Fire Wings are such a staple.”

“Huh,” Ryan nodded, rubbing his chin.

“I’ll have the Phoenix Fire Ramen please,” Roboco said.

“Do you want me to cook it?” Ryan asked, turning to Kiara.

“Phoenix Fire could be dangerous to people who don’t know what they’re doing.” Kiara said. “I’ll have to train you when you’ve been here a bit longer.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan shrugged as Kiara went off to the back room.

Ryan smiled as turned to Roboco, but the smile vanished immediately when he saw Roboco’s expression. Her face was set in a complete deadpan as she stared through Ryan. Ryan didn’t know much about high-spec robots, but it didn’t take an engineer to know that she was analyzing him.

“Checking files…” Roboco droned. “Identifying… Match not found… Reporting…”

Roboco turned around and walked out of the door before flying off, her feet being replaced by rocket boosters.

“Oh fuck,” Ryan said. He didn’t know what was going on, but he could only assume that Roboco was going to tell YAGOO that something was off about him. He didn’t mind YAGOO as a person, but he didn’t want to spill the beans, especially during the first two weeks.

“Your food’s ready!” Kiara chirped as she walked out of the back room. When she saw that Roboco isn’t there, she tilted her head. “Where’s Roboco?”

“She said she had something to do…” Ryan rubbed the back of his head.

-

Nux smirked as he walked down the streets of the underworld. Of course, he wanted to save Storm, but these first two weeks was his opportunity to screw with things with basically no repercussions. He turned to see a house that was uncharacteristically pink and colorful, despite the gray and monochrome state of the other buildings. A wicked smirk crawled up his face as he knocked on the door.

“Nux!” A familiar mad loli opened the door, tackling the pale man in a hug. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you!”

“Sorry about that,” Nux rubbed the back of his head. “I had some stuff to do.”

“So, what’s up?” Ironmouse asked. “You haven’t come to visit the underworld since Grimm died.”

“You’re pretty popular down here, right?” Nux asked.

“Yep!” Ironmouse chirped, nodding her head. “Why do you ask?”

Nux opened his hand, summoning a stack of papers with a white and blue flame. The smirk on his face grew as he handed them to Ironmouse. “I’m going to start endorsing a new magical KFP that opened yesterday,” he said. “Can you hand out these pamphlets to as many people as you can?”

“Sure!” Ironmouse said. “There aren’t many places to eat here in the underworld anyways.”

“Thanks,” Nux said. “I have some business to take care of. I’ll see you around.”

“Bye Nux!” Ironmouse said as Nux vanished in a white and blue flame. Ironmouse looked at the pamphlets, a smile growing on her face.

“Maybe I’ll stop by here myself.”

-

Ironmouse’s first destination was down the street. Thrash metal blasted through the walls, the house literally shaking. She enjoyed the resident’s company, but she was eternally grateful that she wasn’t her neighbor. She knocked on the door, placing a pamphlet on the floor. As much as she wanted to hang out with her, she had a job to do.

-

Futakuchi Mana was typing on her computer when she heard the knock on her door. She changed tabs and pressed the space bar, pausing the deafening thrash metal that was playing. She heaved a sigh as she walked over to the door. She was surprised she could hear the door knocking over the loud music but shrugged it off.

“Alright, which one of you fu-,” Mana stopped when she opened the door. She looked from left to right, checking to see if there was anyone at the door before looking down to see a colorful pamphlet. She picked up the piece of paper and read it.

_Magical KFP Now open!_

_Brought to you by Nuxanor, Ironmouse, and KFP!_

_Eat fried chicken, meet new demons, and torment humans!_

_Open from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm!_

_Down the alley at F Your Mom Lane_

_Pentagram below_

Mana shrugged as she closed the door. She pondered the thought. Pentagrams in the underworld were like teleportation scrolls. She could only assume that the pentagram was set to the KFP. “Maybe I’ll visit sometime,” she said to herself.

“Go…” The mouth in the back of her head growled. “I hunger…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mana sighed as she sat back down on your computer. “Shut the fuck up.”

-

Electricity crackled from the house that Ironmouse stood before. She smiled. This resident was a real pleasure to be around. She knew this particular person wanted to visit the land of the living, so this would give her a good excuse to go. She knocked on the door before walking off.

-

Meimei Roro was typing away on Twitter. With the help of Lucifer and Calli, she was the one who managed to create access to the internet in the underworld, despite the fact that she was a radio demon. She perked up when she heard a knock on the door. She got up, somehow not slipping due to the fact that she was wearing roller skates and glided over to the door. She opened it to see a pamphlet on the floor. She bent over and grabbed it, slipping over her skates in the process.

“Ouch…” Roro rubbed the back of her head as she forced herself up. A smile crept on her face as she read the pamphlet.

“This will be fun.”

-

Ironmouse’s face flushed red as she walked up to the next house. She was a huge simp for this particular person. She slowly inched forward, knocking on the door before scurrying off. “EEEE!”

-

Aragami Oga heaved a huge sigh as he turned off his SNES. As much as he liked RPG Maker, playing this device that Shinove gave him was a nice change of pace. They didn’t have anything like this in his dimension. Even though he wasn’t technically a demon, he decided to take up residence here, since he felt more at home here than in the living world. Oga stood up when he heard a knock on the door.

“Who could that be?” Oga asked himself as he walked over to the door. He opened the door, turning left as he heard the sound as he heard the sound of a girl squealing. He turned just in time to see a pink figure zoom out of sight.

“Was that Ironmouse?” He muttered to himself. Ironmouse was a very popular girl in the underworld, but for some reason, he never seemed to get the chance to talk to her. Every time he approached her, she just squealed and ran away. He picked up the pamphlet, a smirk creeping up his face as he read through the pamphlet.

“It seems Kiara’s doing well,” Oga said to himself. “Maybe I’ll go check it out soon.”

-

“Thanks for coming over,” Suou Patra smiled as she sat in a circle with Saionji Mary, Sekishiro Mico, and Shimamura Charlotte. “Today has been really fun.”

“Thank you for inviting us,” Mary smiled, rubbing Patra’s head. “I had a lot of fun.”

“I can’t believe you couldn’t guess that I would burn the computer,” Mico said with a disappointed tone. “It was so obvious.”

“That wasn’t yours, though!” Charlotte turned to Patra with an apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry about her. I’ll replace your computer.”

“No need to be so kind to me,” Patra said.

“You really are a little angel, huh?” Mary winked at Charlotte.

“N-no I’m not!” Charlotte shouted.

-

Somewhere in the land of the living, a purple-haired tenshi sneezed.

-

Patra opened her mouth to break up the argument but was cut off by a knock on the door. “I got it,” Patra said, standing up. She walked over to the door, opening it. She instantly looked down when she realized that no one was at the door. She picked up the pamphlet, reading it as she closed the door.

“Hey girls,” she looked up as she walked back into the living room. “Who wants to go on a trip?”

-

“YAGOO,” Roboco flew through the window to YAGOO’s office.

“Yes, Roboco-san?” YAGOO looked up from the Hololive Alternative plans he was looking at. “Is there something you need?”

“I stopped by the KFP today,” Roboco said. “Ryan’s personality doesn’t match his files. The files stated that he has never seen a supernatural creature before working at KFP. He seemed far too used to things for that to happen.”

“I see,” YAGOO nodded his head, rubbing his chin. “I’ll call Shade. He’ll know what to do.”

“Okay,” Roboco smiled.

“By the way,” YAGOO said, catching her attention.

“Yes?” Roboco tilted her head.

“Great job at the concert.”

-

**Day 004: Imps**

Shade heaved a sigh as he walked down the hallway.

“Shade?” Shade turned around when he heard Sabrina’s voice. She was poking her head out of her room, her mask off.

“What’s up, Sabby?” Shade turned around, tilting his head at his subordinate.

“Can I go see Edhas yet?” Sabrina asked. “I really miss him.”

“For the last time, Sabrina,” Shade pinched the bridge of his nose. “We can’t interact with Edhas yet. He’s still-,”

Shade was cut off when his phone started to ring. Shade took out his phone. “Who is it?” Sabrina asked.

“It’s YAGOO,” Shade said, scowling as he answered the phone. “Hey YAGOO. What’s up?”

“Roboco stopped by Ryan’s place of work today,” YAGOO started. “She claimed that Ryan’s personality didn’t match the files. There’s a chance Edhas may have resurfaced already.”

“That’s early,” Shade noted. “I’ll come to Japan to check things out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright,” YAGOO said before hanging up the phone.

“Good news Sabrina,” Shade said as his expression darkened. “We’ll get to see Edhas soon.”

-

“Brianna!” Ollie shouted as she barreled through the door, waving a piece of paper wildly. “Check this out!”

“For the last time, Ollie,” Brianna sighed, pausing the TV. She was currently watching Futakuchi Mana’s workout regimens. “Please knock before opening the door.”

“But it’s important~,” Ollie whined, shoving the paper in Brianna’s face. Brianna read the paper.

“What’s so important about a KFP?” Brianna asked, moving her head so she could face Ollie. “What even is that? It wasn’t around when I was alive.”

“One of my senpais established a fast food chain!” Ollie exclaimed. “She’s so hot~.”

“Ollie, remember how you died,” Brianna noted.

“No, like physically,” Ollie gave Brianna a blank stare. “She’s a phoenix.”

“Nice save there,” Brianna said with a monotone voice. “So, what’s your point?”

“Do you want to go on a date~?” Ollie asked, squirming as she winked at Brianna. “It would be a great place~.”

“Ollie no,” Brianna glared.

“Ollie yes,” Ollie wiggled her eyebrows.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Brianna grumbled.

“Yay!” Ollie tackled her friend in a hug.

“W-wait!” Brianna yelped as Ollie barreled into her. She tried to keep her balance, but failed, causing the two to topple over.

-

 _Hey Nux,_ Ryan said as he sealed an envelope with a purple seal with the number ‘5’ engraved in it. _You’re in league with Grimm, right?_

 _“Yeah, why do you ask?”_ Nux asked back almost immediately.

 _I need to get this to a phoenix named Hino,_ Ryan replied, tapping the sealed letter on his desk. _Can you get this to Grimm?_

“Sure thing, pal,” Nux said as he appeared behind Ryan with a white and blue flame. Ryan turned to see Nux replaced his blue hoodie with a red jacket and hade the word “MEME” tattooed on his fingers.

“Nice outfit,” Ryan said, handing Nux the letter.

“I guess you can say I got drip,” Nux smirked as he took the letter.

“Please don’t ever say that again,” Ryan grumbled.

“Whatever you say,” Nux pocketed the letter. “See ya!”

Ryan heaved a sigh as Nux left. As soon as Ryan could tell that Nux had completely left his room, a small smile crept up his lips.

-

Mana sighed as she turned off her computer. “Why do so many people want me to step on them?” She muttered to herself standing up. She appreciated all the support she had been getting, though. Heating _was_ quite expensive in the ninth circle of hell, after all.

“What should I do now?” Mana rubbed her chin.

“Feed…” The mouth in the back of her head demanded. Like all Futakuchis, her hair would contort into a mouth that would demand for food constantly, causing a torturous backlash if not fed. “I demand food…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mana sighed. “What to eat…”

She turned to the right of her desk to see an orange pamphlet hanging on the wall. “Fried chicken sounds nice,” Mana bit her thumb, causing it to bleed a little. She walked over to the pamphlet and smeared the blood onto the pentagram on the bottom right corner of the pamphlet. With a flash of red light, she was gone.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan heaved a sigh as he opened the door. “I have a feeling that a couple of strays are going to be popping in today.”

“Well, considering what happened last time you brought in a stray, I think I would be fine with that,” Kiara smiled. “How did you sleep, my little egg?”

“Eh,” Ryan shrugged. “I was never the best at sleeping anyways.”

“That’s not healthy!” Kiara gasped as Ryan made his way into the break room. “You need to sleep more!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll try my best.”

“That’s all I ask,” Kiara smiled genuinely at Ryan as he closed the door.

-

Ryan opened the door to the break room as the same time the entrance opened, revealing a woman with a black French maid outfit with a white collar and red ribbons. Her long, black hair flowed down her back, red streaks blending into her hair on her bangs. She wore a spider lily on the left side of her head and her crimson eyes shone in the light.

“Excuse me, but is this KFP?” The woman asked as she walked over to the counter.

“Yes, it is,” Kiara rubbed her chin. “My name is Takanashi Kiara. Who are you? I don’t recall giving you directions here.”

“My name is Futakuchi Mana,” Mana opened her palm, and an orange pamphlet summoned itself in crimson flames. “I received a promotional pamphlet for this place.”

“Pamphlet? I don’t remember sending out anything like that,” Kiara noted as she took the paper. Ryan walked over to read the paper, his expression souring as he read it.

“God damnit Nux,” Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

“Who’s Nux,” Kiara narrowed her eyes as she looked at Ryan. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Nux is…” Ryan looked upwards, trying to find a word that stretched the truth, but wasn’t exactly a lie. “Kind of like the monster under my bed or something like that. He started tormenting me not too long ago, so I’m not surprised that no one knows of him.”

“I see,” Kiara nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Me and this Nux person are going to have words later on.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll pop up in here someday,” Ryan said, completely confident that something like that would happen. He then directed his attention back to his customer. “What would you like today, Mana?”

“I heard you guys sell fried chicken?” Mana put a finger on her chin.

“Yes, we do, but we also sell a lot of other things, from aged wine to slow-roasted human souls,” Kiara said.

“We sell cooked souls?” Ryan asked, turning his head towards Kiara.

“You have your secrets, I have mine,” Kiara smirked at Ryan, offering him a wink.

“I won’t even ask,” Ryan grumbled to himself.

“I’ll just have some chicken wings,” Mana said. “Please don’t add any spices.”

“One Birb Mild Wings, coming right up,” Ryan said, finding his way into the back room. He always felt like he didn’t do enough during his first few weeks of work, considering the fact the he got paid way more than any other 9-5 fast food worker he’s heard of.

 _Nux, I thought you wouldn’t screw up anything,_ Ryan grumbled, establishing a telepathic link with the entity of the void.

 _“Well_ I _said no promises,”_ Nux said with an overly smug tone as Ryan put several chicken wings in the deep fryer. _“C’mon! Let me have a little fun!”_

 _Fine. It’s not like I can do anything about it at this point,_ Ryan sighed as he placed the chicken wings in a standard KFP tub before walking out of the back room.

“Ironmouse is actually a very energetic person,” Mana said, her finger resting on the word ‘Ironmouse’ on the pamphlet. “She tries to get with everyone, though. She constantly hugs and kisses people, sometimes against their will.”

“Sounds a lot like you, Tenchou,” Ryan said as he placed the chicken wings in front of Mana. “Calli certainly deserves a break.”

“I _am_ her break!” Kiara pouted. Mana grabbed a chicken wing and held it behind her shoulder. Parts of her hair started to levitate towards the food, grabbing it as the hair constricted around the wing. It then receded back into the back of Mana’s head, where the sound of bones crunching could be heard.

“What was that?” Ryan asked, more curious than scared.

“I’m a Futakuchi,” Mana explained. “We have a mouth in the back of our heads which basically eat all of our food.”

“I see,” Ryan said, when he did in fact, not see. “I’ll be sure to do some googling later tonight.”

“If I may ask, how should I pay for this?” Mana asked. “I don’t have any human currency on me, though I do have a couple souls lying around.”

“I’ll take those!” Kiara chirped. “That’ll cost two souls.”

“That’s not too bad,” Mana said as two silver coins appeared in her hand. She dropped them into Kiara’s hand before standing up with the tub of chicken in her hands. “I guess I will take my leave now. Thank you for the food.”

“No problem!” Kiara cheered as Mana vanished in a torrent of crimson flames.

“Those are souls?” Ryan asked as he looked at the silver coins. On one side, there was a 1 on it, and the other side, there was something that looked like a flame, but the bottom was circular.

“Like most human currencies are backed with silver and gold, currency in the underworld are backed by the souls of the damned,” Kiara explained. “People who have either given up their souls or did something really bad aren’t allowed to pass on to life after death. Their souls go to Lucifer and the government in the underworld, where they distribute the currency.”

“That sounds… quite efficient,” Ryan nodded his head. “Aren’t demons supposed to eat souls or something though?”

“Well, you can also buy souls from the government or soul brokers,” Kiara said. “Kind of like how money is backed by gold, but you can still buy gold.”

“Ah,” Ryan said. “I never expected today to be so educational.”

“Well, you learn something every day!” Kiara chirped.

-

“Hino, for your insubordination, you are sentenced to death,” King Peafowl VII said as the phoenix knelt before him. Hino sighed. Since she was a phoenix and came back to life every time she died, she was sentenced to death for a lot of ‘crimes’, one of which included defying orders to ‘discipline’ her men with magic. At first, she tried to argue, but at this point, she just gave up entirely.

“Father!” Reine shouted. “This is unacceptable! She just didn’t want to hurt anyone!”

“Silence!” Peafowl roared. “You have no say in this after abandoning your country!”

“You…” Reine seethed, her hand grasping on her magical rapier, Hiraitamon.

“Now, off with her head!” Peafowl demanded.

“I’m sorry, commander,” Jared, the executioner hung his head now. He really hated doing this, but as this was his only source of income, he had no choice.

“It’s okay,” Hino forced a smile out. “Just make sure your kids are alright, okay?”

“I will,” Jared nodded as he swung his giant axe, beheading the fire bird.

-

Hino expected to awake in the normal endless void with the two doors and the raggedy man, but was surprised to see a lush field, the sun shining down. If she looked in the distance, she could see more of the black, endless void, but it was significantly different to what she was used to.

“It’s nice to see you again, Hino,” Hino turned at the voice of the man she had seen so many times. Her eyes widened slightly as the raggedy, pitiful man she new was now no more. In his place was a tall, lean man with his hair neatly combed back. His cloak was orange as his broken scythe was now a majestic weapon with a golden hilt and a blade of concentrated plasma. “Do you like what I’ve done with the place?”

“O-Old Man Grimm…!” Hino exclaimed in shock. “What happened to you?! What happened here?!”

“Let’s just say an old friend stopped by to give me a helping hand,” Grimm said, a satisfied smile creeping up his lips. “Enough of that, though. How are you?”

“Can I go to another dimension now?” Hino whined. “I’m sick of this one! The king is so mean! Since this place isn’t fucked up anymore, you can move me to another dimension, right? Hey! Put me in the one that Reine went to! I’m sure that’ll be fun!”

“I would love to, but unfortunately, I need a favor from you,” Grimm replied. Hino tilted her head. Grimm _never_ asked for favors. Whenever she died, they just exchanged pleasantries before Grimm would send her on her way.

“What kind of favor do you need?” Hino asked, tilting her head.

“I don’t know what kind of people you’ve been associating with, but it seems you have some friends in some pretty high places,” Grimm heaved a sigh as he dug his hand into his cloak, pulling out a letter. “Please give this to King Peafowl VII.”

“I don’t know what you mean. My only two friends are Ahiru and Reine,” Hino said, taking the letter. “But it’s the least I can do for you after making sure I made it back to my friends in one piece.”

“Thank you,” Grimm said as a fiery portal opened behind Hino. “Now, get going. I’m sure you won’t want to miss this.”

-

Reine watched as a fire burst from Hino’s body as she rose back from the dead. Unlike her normal, gray expression though, Hino was smiling brightly as she held a letter with a purple seal which somehow wasn’t getting burnt by the flames that surrounded Hino’s hand.

“What is that?” Peafowl asked, glaring at the letter that Hino held.

“It’s a letter for you, your highness,” Hino said, kneeling. “May I approach?”

“Yes, you may,” Peafowl said. Hino walked up the steps and handed the king the letter before stepping back down to stand next to Reine.

“What was that?” Reine asked her friend.

“I don’t know,” Hino answered honestly. “Old Man Grimm just told me to give it to the king.”

Reine then looked at Peafowl, whose face was getting paler and paler by the second.

“Hino, Reine,” Peafowl said, his voice shaking. “I don’t know when you did it, but you got into contact with the Fifth Mask… He wants you to go back to his dimension with Ahiru and Hane…”

“The Fifth Mask?” Reine asked, her head tilting. “Isn’t he dead?”

“Yes,” the conversation was interrupted when a blue and white flame appeared in the middle of the room, a pale man stepping out. “He left that for me to pass onto you when he died. I’m here to take the kiddies back to his dimension, if you don’t mind.”

“O-of course…!” Peafowl managed. “Get the other two this instant! They shall be leaving today!”

-

“Thanks for taking us back,” Reine said as she stepped out of the portal with Hino, Hane, Ahiru, and the now named Nux.

“Don’t mention it,” Nux said. “I was just doing someone a favor.”

“Is it true that the Fifth Mask was the one who bailed us?” Hino asked.

“Yeah, but I heard he hates being called that,” Nux heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of his head.

“Where can I find him?” Reine asked. “I want to thank him personally.”

“You were the one who said he was dead,” Nux pointed out.

“If he was dead, then he would have bailed us earlier, when he was alive,” Reine noted. “If he died before we were born, then there was no way he would have known us.”

“You got me there,” Nux ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, he doesn’t want to be found at the moment, okay? When he does, he’ll make himself present. I promise.”

“Okay,” Reine nodded. “I wonder where he is right now.”

-

Ryan sighed as he was sitting on his desk, writing down incomprehensible scribbles. He originally wanted to try creating his own spells based off the knowledge that Edhas gave him, but it had been reduced to just unintelligible chicken scratch. He felt the tingling on the back of his head he usually felt when someone was following him and sighed, opening the sliding glass door to his balcony.

“Suisei, do you prefer peppermint tea or Earl Grey?” He asked loudly. With a gust of wind, Suisei appeared next to him.

“I’m surprised you were able to notice that I was here,” Suisei said.

“I’m used to being stalked,” Ryan grumbled, running his hand through his hair as an agitated expression washed over his face. “Please don’t remind me. Wasn’t my best moment.”

“If you insist,” Suisei said. “Now, may I come in?”

-

**Day 005: Complications**

“Japan seems pretty nice right now,” Sabrina said as she stood atop a skyscraper, her mask on.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been here,” Shade said. “Ever since…”

“Can we _not_ bring that up?” Sabrina asked, her tone agitated. “I still haven’t gotten over it yet.”

“Fine, but Edhas might bring it up though,” Shade said.

“Yeah,” Sabrina looked down at the roads below her. “I really miss Brianna.”

“I miss her too,” Shade put a had on Sabrina’s shoulder. “Let’s go. YAGOO said he works at a fast food restaurant.”

“Maybe I could get some fried chicken to eat my sorrows,” Sabrina said.

“Oh, stop being edgy,” Shade grumbled.

“Never.”

-

“Hey Brianna!” Ollie barreled through the door, tackling Sabrina in a hug.

“Yes Ollie?” Brianna hugged her back. She was in a grumpy mood due to all the exercise she did with Mana’s regimens, which were hell (both physically and literally).

“I’m planning on going to KFP today,” Ollie said. “Want to come?”

“I’m dead, remember?” Sabrina reminded her.

“Yeah,” Ollie took out the KFP pamphlet and pointed at the pentagram on the bottom right, “but this pentagram can bring spirits to the overworld!”

“Really?” Brianna rubbed her chin. “Someone with a lot of power and resources backing them would have made these, then.”

“Whatever!” Ollie waved her arms wildly. “Just go on a date with me!”

“Fine, fine,” Brianna heaved a sigh, patting Ollie’s head. “Let me get ready first.”

-

Ryan cracked his neck as he prepared for work. _“What do you even do to prepare for work?”_ Nux asked in Ryan’s head.

 _Mentally,_ Ryan replied, as if it was an obvious answer. _Who knows when I’ll get my ass thrown in the usual room?_

 _“What’s the usual room?”_ Nux asked.

 _You know,_ Ryan looked at the door, shuddering. _I’d rather not know the answer to that question._

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said his usual greeting as he walked into the restaurant.

“Hi, my Little Egg!” Kiara ran out of the back room. “Are you excited to work today?”

“Of course,” Ryan smiled as he made his way over to the break room. Ah, the ease of mind one got by knowing that their boss wasn’t ground pounding her wife in the break room. “I’m always excited.”

-

Ryan instantly tensed when he opened the door of the break room to see two familiar figures. Shade wore his usual clothing, a brown robe covering an orange T-shirt and cargo pants. His short, blond hair was wild and unruly and his mask covered his entire face. Sabrina was also wearing a brown cloak and her mask, wearing her standard skinny jeans and pink hoodie with a giant ‘4’ on it.

“It’s nice to see you again, Edhas,” Shade turned to Ryan.

“I’ve been called a lot of things, but that’s a new one,” Ryan said, narrowing his eyes. “My name is Ryan Shade.”

“Call me Shade,” Shade said. “I don’t know why you don’t trust me, but I’m on your side, Edhas.”

“Why are you calling me that?” Ryan asked, looking visibly agitated at the mention of the name. “I’m not Edhas.”

“Who’s Edhas?” Kiara tilted her head, looking back and forth between the two parties.

“An old friend,” Sabrina replied.

“Whatever you say, Yo-chan,” Kiara waved her hand dismissively.

 _Haven’t heard that nickname in ages,_ Ryan thought to himself.

“Anyways, back to our-,” Shade was cut off when the doors slammed opened, revealing a redheaded zombie with a sword through her head.

“OHAYOLLIE!” Ollie shouted as she strutted into the restaurant. “THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE ZOMBIE HAS ARRIVED!”

“Ollie, please don’t be two lo-,” Brianna stepped in, sighing but cut herself off when she saw the people before her. “Shade…? Sabrina…? Edhas…?”

“Bri!” Sabrina hopped off her stool and tackled her friend in a hug.

“Hey!” Ollie cried in protest. “She’s _my_ date!”

“I thought you were dead!” Sabrina squeezed her friend, ignoring Ollie’s cries of protest.

“Well, I still am, but apparently I can find my way here now,” Brianna patted Sabrina on the head, wrapping her other arm around her before looking up to Ryan. “Aren’t you going to hug me too?”

“Sorry, but Edhas is long gone,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m all that’s left.”

“What…?” Brianna just looked at Ryan with a blank expression as Sabrina let go of her. “What happened…?”

“I think you guys should take this conversation outside,” Ryan said. “I have a job to do.”

“If you insist,” Shade stood up, heading for the exit. “Brianna, I will explain everything.”

Kiara turned to stare at Ryan as the three left. “What was that?”

Ryan shrugged. “I have no idea.”

-

“Alright, what’s going on?!” Brianna demanded as she stomped up to Shade, grabbing him by the shirt and pinning him on the wall. “You better explain what’s going on with my brother or we’re going to exchange a little bit more than words.”

“You see, after you died, Edhas lost his temper,” Shade said calmly as he turned his head to face her, as if he was boring a hole into her with his eyes. “He unleashed his power, threatening to destroy the world in his anger, so we had to lock his memories and his magic. Ryan Shade was the result of that. He formed his own personality and life without the use of magic. We came here because an outside source said there was a chance that he unlocked his prior memories again.”

“We didn’t intend for it to happen for another couple weeks,” Sabrina said. “As much as I miss him, I don’t want to see him destroy the world either. We wanted him to mature as a person before we gave him back his memories and his magic.”

“I… I see…” Brianna lowered Shade before heaving a sigh, sitting down on the floor. “Just when I thought I could see him again…”

“We will,” Sabrina knelt down, hugging her friend. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I’m sure we’ll be able to see him afterwards.”

-

Ryan raised his eyebrow as Brianna was the only one to walk back into the KFP. “Did something happen?”

“It was a false alarm,” Brianna heaved a sigh. “You looked like one of our friends who vanished a couple years ago, but since you aren’t him, Shade and Godslayer went looking elsewhere.”

“I see,” Ryan said. He knew that she was lying, but he would play along.

“Now can we get back to our date~?” Ollie said, giving Brianna dead puppy eyes.

“Fine,” Brianna sat down on one of the stools. “Do you have any Dragonson liquor?”

“I’m going to have to see some ID,” Ryan said.

“Well, I died two years ago and I was sixteen when I died so I guess I’m legal,” Brianna said. “I don’t even know anymore.”

“Are you sure you want that one?” Kiara asked. “That one is the strongest one we have.”

“Yeah I just…” Brianna shook her head. “I think I need it right now.”

“If you insist,” Kiara said before walking over to the back room.

“Dragonson liquor?” Ollie tilted her head, putting a finger on her chin. “I don’t know what that is. Doesn’t sound all too romantic.”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Brianna smirked. “It’s the best drink in the world.”

-

“Ollie is never allowed to take her sword out her head again,” Ryan grumbled as he wiped brain matter off the counter.

“Oh, you’re no fun!” Ryan stiffened as Kiara slapped Ryan on the back. “She was just enjoying the pleasantries!”

“The strongest alcohol in the world shouldn’t count as pleasantries,” Ryan said. “Anyways, I’m clocking out for the day.”

“Bye Ryan!” Kiara smiled and waved as Ryan walked out the door. Ryan walked a couple minutes down the alley before he dived out of the way, narrowly dodging a fireball.

“You know, throwing fire at people isn’t good manners, Shade,” Ryan turned around to confront Shade and Sabrina.

“You definitely sound like Edhas,” Shade said.

“Yeah, but I’m not him,” Ryan said, growing more agitated by the second. He thought he was managing his emotions properly, but these events were proving otherwise.

“So, you know about him,” Shade noted.

“Yeah,” Ryan scoffed. “He’s dead.”

“Dead?” Sabrina asked.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here,” Ryan said. “I would appreciate it if you told no one about my escapades through time. It would be nice to have the right to tell the people I want.”

“So that’s why Jack moved towards Japan,” Shade said. “Why did you tell us, though?”

“You would have found out anyways,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “It’s only a matter of time before Reporter gets on my ass.”

“Reporter?” Sabrina tilted her head. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, I forgot he hasn’t shown up yet,” Ryan said. “I don’t know his real name, but he’s the seventh mask.”

“Isn’t he dead?” Sabrina asked.

“There’s a lot of coming back from the dead if you couldn’t tell from today’s events,” Ryan said.

“Brianna came back from the dead?” Shade rubbed his chin.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t supposed to happen for a while,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “Anyways, I’m tired, so I’m heading off to bed.”

“Bye Ryan,” Sabrina said. “I’m sorry for everything.”

“I’ll see you around,” Shade said.

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” Ryan muttered as he turned the corner, knowing that two were already gone.

“I can’t catch a break.”

-

“You don’t belong here,” A voice radiated throughout the endless void as Nux casually walked through it.

“Do you think I give a shit?” Nux chuckled as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You must be dumber than I thought.”

“I’ll get you eventually,” The voice growled. “You can’t run forever.”

“Who said I was running?” Nux laughed loudly at that before scowling. “Now piss off. I have a meeting to get to.”

When Nux confirmed the voice had gone, he continued walking, a smile growing on his face as the glowing of a TV screen could be seen in the distance.

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon, Nux,” Storm turned around to see Nux walked up to him. Aloe, who was watching Gen 5 do a collab stream poked her head from her seat.

“Storm? Who’s this?” Aloe asked, tilting her head.

“Can’t I say hi to an old friend?” Nux slapped Storm on the back before turning to Aloe. “Name’s Nuxanor. You can just call me Nux.”

“I thought you were enjoying your new body,” Storm said. “Did you get bored already?”

“Nah,” Nux’s smile went soft as he looked Storm in the mask. “I just missed you.”

“I never thought I’d hear that from you,” Storm chuckled. “Nevertheless, the sentiment is welcome.”

“A lot has happened since I got this body,” Nux said, chuckling softly. “I just want to spend time with my friends.”

-

**Day 006: A Day Off**

Ryan heaved a sigh as his phone went off. “Is that Kiara?” Suisei asked. Suisei comes around to stop by every other night for tea. It’s not that Ryan minded, but he preferred to spend time experimenting with his magic, trying to learn all of the things that Edhas had left him. Ryan leaned over and picked up his phone.

“Yeah, that’s Tenchou,” Ryan said. “Mind if I get this?”

“Actually, I think it’s time I go,” Suisei said. “Anemachi might start wondering where I’m going every night.”

“Alright. I’ll see you around,” Ryan waved as Suisei walked off, jumping off the balcony. Ryan shook his head as he answered the phone. “Hell-,”

“Hey Ryan!” Kiara said. “I have a date with Calli today! You can have the day off!”

“Really?” Ryan asked, tilting his head. “Shouldn’t you tell me ahead of time?”

“Oh, my silly Little Egg,” Kiara giggled. “This _is_ ahead of time.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan sighed. That’s Tenchou for you. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and Tenchou?”

“What is it?” Ryan could swear that Kiara was tilting her head right now.

“Stay safe, okay?” Ryan said, a soft smile on his face. Before Kiara could reply, Ryan hung up. “Now, what can I do today?”

-

“Huh, wonder what that was about,” Kiara pocketed her phone.

“What happened?” Calli asked, twirling her scythe.

“Nothing,” Kiara said. “Just Ryan being Ryan.”

“So, being evil?” Calli’s expression darkened.

“No… he’s more… mysterious,” Kiara put a finger on her chin as she found the word. “It’s almost like he knows everything and nothing at the same time.”

“How does that make any sense?” Calli shook her head as they turned to see the MILF base. Instead of guards waiting there as usual, there was a pale man with black shorts and a red sweater.

“Yo!” The man waved the two over as soon as he made eye contact with them.

“Who are you?” Kiara asked as she and Calli walked over.

“Name’s Lord Nuxanor,” The man introduced himself. “You can call me Nux.”

“So, _you_ were the one who advertised my KFP everywhere!” Kiara shouted as she jumped up, pointing at the man. “What do you want?!”

“Relax, I’m just here as your backup,” Nux said, smirking. “I’m just here to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“If you’re backup, did YAGOO send you?” Calli asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Nah, I barely talk to him anymore,” Nux shrugged. “It’s just that Ryan would be _really_ mad if things went south.”

“Whatever,” Calli said as she twirled her scythe, grabbing it with both hands. “Just don’t fall behind.”

-

Ryan looked up at the large mountain that led to the shrine. He might as well meet the Elite shrine maiden. “It’s been a while,” Ryan muttered to himself as he walked up the stairs. He looked at the massive shrine gate and heaved a sigh.

“This must be where the barrier is, huh?” Ryan thought aloud. He shook his head and walked through the gate, the nausea of the barrier barely even hitting him anymore. A small smile crept on his face as he saw the shine maiden sweeping, just like last time.

“Hello,” Ryan’s smile only grew when Miko jumped with a squeal.

“FAQ!” Miko shouted as she turned around. “Who are you?”

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan said with a waved of his hand. “What’s up?”

“You seem to be human,” Miko narrowed her eyes as she clutched her broom. “How did you get in here?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan shrugged. “It might have to do with the nausea I felt when I crossed the gates. I feel the same thing every time I go to work.”

“Where do you go to work?” Miko asked.

“Oh, I work at a new KFP that opened up earlier this week,” Ryan said. “You should drop by sometime.”

“Oh, so you work for Kiara?” Miko tilted her head, her mouth making the shape of Mt. Fuji.

“You know her?” Ryan widened his eyes slightly, feigning shock.

“Yep!” Miko nodded. “Most of our friends hang around this city, so it wouldn’t be too odd if a lot of people know her.”

“I see,” Ryan nodded.

“So, why did you come to a shrine in the mountains?” Miko asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to send a prayer that Calli won’t kill Tenchou on their date today,” Ryan said. He technically wasn’t lying, since the chances of that happening were pretty high.

“Ah, I see,” Miko smiled. “Let me get the resident goddess. I’ll be right back.”

“Wha-,” Ryan held his hand out, but Miko was already walking off, humming to herself while moving side to side. “Nevermind.”

After a couple minutes, Miko came back, a smile on her face. “Alright, she should be coming shortly.”

“I still haven’t gotten over the resident goddess thi-,”

“I AM GOD!” A bead of sweat formed in Ryan’s brow as Matsuri jumped up from the undergrowth. “What is your prayer?”

“On second thought, I just realized I have somewhere to go,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before turning around.

“Wait!” Matsuri called. “I AM HOLOLIVE!”

At this point, Ryan was sprinting as fast as he could. He could hear a faint “STAY HOME!” in the distance as he burst through the gate.

“Safe,” Ryan panted, his hands on his knees. After a few seconds, he stood up, his breath steadying. “Maybe it’s time for me to go home.

-

Midway down the steps, Ryan saw a girl with white hair, wolf ears, a blue outfit and skirt, and a snow white tail that was switching back and forth. “Awoo~!” The girl cheered (howled?) as Ryan approached her, as she was in the middle of the stairs. It wasn’t like Ryan could just ignore her.

“Hello,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, looking from side to side. “May I help you?”

“I’m Lumi!” The girl said with an excited tone. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan said, a smile creeping up on his face. How could he not smile? Lumi was just too cute for Ryan’s heart to take. “It’s nice to meet you, Lumi!”

“Nice to meet you too! Awoo~!” Lumi’s howls were more like a verbal tick than an actual howl.

 _-999 hp! Super Effective!_ Ryan grabbed his chest as the cuteness overload started to take over his weak body.

“Are you okay?” Lumi tilted her head, putting a finger on her chin as the cutsie expression that everyone seemed to do.

“I’m fine,” Ryan said, steadying himself. “It’s an… illness… let’s go with that.”

“Oh, that’s horrible!” Lumi gasped. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan smiled. “So, what do you need?”

“Oh, I just wanted to make some friends!” Lumi cheered. “Fubuki is so good at doing it and I want to learn!”

“I see,” Ryan saw an opportunity and took it. He put his hand behind his back and turned on his magic for a split seconds, summoning a KFP pamphlet. Nux had given Ryan a stack of pamphlets just in case he ran into any supernatural creatures. He walked up to Lumi and handed her the paper. “Maybe you should come to KFP. It’s where I work.”

“Really?” Lumi looked at Ryan with stars in her eyes. “I’ll be sure to stop by!”

“Alright! If you put some of your blood on the pentagram, it’ll teleport you to the KFP and the address is right here,” Ryan pointed at the address and the pentagram. “I hope I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks! I got to go tell Merry about this!” Lumi cheered before running off.

“Well that was something,” Ryan sighed. “I’m not sure if my heart could have taken anymore.”

-

Ryan sighed as he walked down the street, the moon overhead. If he remembered correctly, then Suisei would be in the alley with those thugs. _To be honest, I don’t even care anymore,_ Ryan thought to himself with a scoff. _I could let Suisei kill them for all I care._

“Angel wings have been going pretty high in the markets, huh?” A voice could be heard from the alley.

 _Angel wings?_ Ryan wondered. _That doesn’t sound like Suisei._

Ryan turned the corner to see the same three thugs cornering a small girl with a horn and wings. Her hair was purple with pink and blue streaks on the bangs. She wore a dress, with the upper part of the dress having a color. Her eyes were purple, but it blended into a sort of yellow color. She was hugging a small horse with its own pair of wings. Ryan paled. He remembered having a brief encounter with her (Read: KFP: Double Back Chapter 7). According to Edhas, the small little alicorn can take out the entire planet of Jupiter without breaking a sweat. Ryan didn’t really care about the thieves, but if the planet was blown up, Ryan couldn’t really work anymore, so he needed to put a stop to that.

Last time, Ryan dashed at them and took them down with his martial arts skills, but Ryan decided that his current plan would be a bit quicker. He turned on his magic, summoning his guns. He was aware that this wasn’t the smartest idea, but he really wanted to test out his new and upgraded guns. He pointed his guns at the thieves and a magic circle appeared at either end of the scopes and a similar magic circle appearing in front of either of Ryan’s eyes. The magic circles let Ryan see from the scope without actually putting his eyes by it. He channeled his magic into his guns, conjuring silencers that he specially made for his guns to appear. When he pulled the trigger, he felt a small bit of magic flow from his chest and through his arms before leaving his hands and transferring to the guns. Three gusts of pressurized wind flew from the barrels of the gun, each finding their mark on the temple of a thief. Ryan dispelled his guns, letting his sight return to his eyes. He stumbled a little bit, dizzy at the abrupt change of vision.

Ryan looked up as his world started to still, focusing his attention to the girl who was turning her head to look at him. He instantly switched off his magic as he forced a smile in an attempt to reassure her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” The girl stepped over the bodies, walking over to Ryan. “Thanks for the save.”

“No problem,” Ryan said. “Though me having magic is kind of a secret, so if you can keep it that way, that would be great.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” The girl smiled. “I’m Fuwako Yuni and this is Jam.”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan said. “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Yuni smiled. “It’s been hard finding people that are nice to people like me. I was hoping to make friends when I left my old dimension, but things aren’t going too well over here as well.”

“Actually, I might know a place where you can find some friends,” Ryan summoned his second KFP pamphlet of the day, handing it to Yuni. “This KFP is only for magical creatures. I’m technically supposed to be the only human since I work there, but no one needs to know I’m a mage.”

“Thanks,” Yuni smiled at Ryan. “I’m sure that I’ll be there sometime too.”

“No problem,” Ryan smiled. “If you put some blood on the pentagram, it’ll teleport you right there, but the address is also there too.”

“Thank you,” Yuni nodded.

“I’m going to go home now,” Ryan said. “Honestly, I should be in bed right now.”

“I’ll see you around,” Yuni said, tilting her head.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan forced his smile. “I’ll see you around.”

-

Ryan heaved a sigh as he opened the door to his apartment. “Man, I could really use a bagel right now,” he said to himself. He had a pretty productive day, but it was also pretty tiring. He hadn’t used his magic in a combative style since his fight with Storm all that time ago, so it was kind of draining, even if he didn’t use it that much. Ryan walked over to his cabinet, opening his drawer.

“Wait,” Ryan looked at the empty drawer. It wasn’t just his bagels that were gone, but all of his bread. “Goddamnit.”

-

Meanwhile, Yuni was snickering as she held several bags of bread in her hands. “The bread thief rises again.”

-

**Day 007: Fantasy**

“Kiara told me they had a reunion a while ago,” Flare said as she snuggled up in bed with Noel. “Maybe we should do something like that too.”

“No!” Noel pouted as she hugged Flare tighter. “Flare is mine! I won’t let them take you away from me again!”

“Don’t worry,” Flare shifted in the bed so she was facing Noel. Flare smiled down at her girlfriend as she stroked her hair. “We’re together now. It’s not like I would cheat on you.”

“I love you, Flare,” Noel buried her face into Flare’s neck.

“I love you too, Noe-chan,” Flare smiled as she closed her eyes.

-

“Konpeko konpeko konpeko!” Pekora shouted over the phone. “What’s up-peko?”

“Hi Pekora!” Noel said over the phone with an excited tone. “Flare and I are trying to put a Gen 3 reunion. Does today at KFP sound good to you?”

“You know, I would love to, but I’m bus-,” Pekora was cut off by a loud explosion. She turned around to see half of the building that Usada Constructions was commission to build was completely blown to smithereens. “On second thought, I would love to come!”

“Sanchou, you can’t keep running away from these things,” Moona heaved a sigh. She was wearing a yellow construction hat and looking a few sheets of blueprints. “You’re the CEO, after all.”

“That’s why I have such a wonderful second in command!” Pekora gave Moona a bright smile.

“I better be getting a raise,” Moona muttered under her breath.

“You’ll get a raise in hugs!” Pekora hugged Moona tightly before hopping off.

“Sanchou wait-,” Moona heaved a sigh when she realized that Pekora was gone. “Why do I even work here?”

-

Marine was heavily concentrating on a bottled ship that she ordered. Since she couldn’t make a gigantic galleon as quickly as she can make a ship in a bottle. Plus, YAGOO already gave her a magic floating galleon for celebrating one million subscribers, so she didn’t need another one. She was interrupted when her phone started vibrating on her desk, causing the ship to fall into pieces. “WHAT THE HELL?!” She shouted, grabbing her phone. “WHOEVER IS CALLING ME WILL- Oh.”

Realizing who was calling her, she immediately answered the phone, a smile on her face. “Hello? Fuu-tan?”

“ORA!” Rushia appeared out of nowhere, decking Marine in the face, sending her sprawling.

“Is everything okay there?” Flare asked, genuine concern on her voice.

“Yeah, everything’s alright,” Marine laughed as Rushia gave her a death stare.

“Why are you talking to other girls, Senchou?” Rushia looked down at Marine, a dark expression on her face. “Weren’t we going to get married?”

“I was wondering if you and Rushia wanted to join a Gen 3 debut,” Flare said.

“Hold on a second,” Marine covered the phone with her hand before looking to Rushia. “Flare just wanted to ask if we wanted to go to a Gen 3 reunion.”

“Ah,” the dark expression on Rushia’s face faded. “Sure.”

“We’re in,” Marine said before hanging up the phone.

-

Ryan yawned as he woke up, his limbs sore. He spent the last night tinkering and passed out after not sleeping for several nights. Despite that, he only slept for about a couple hours. “Man, I really need to learn how to sleep better,” he grumbled to himself as he got up.

 _“Hey Ryan, you up?”_ Nux asked in his head as Ryan cracked his neck. _“I tried to contact you about an hour ago, but you were dead asleep.”_

 _Despite all this magic, I’m still human,_ Ryan ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. _I still need sleep every now and then._

 _“Shame,”_ Nux said. _“I guess sleep is something you need to work on?”_

 _Yeah,_ Ryan sighed. _I just hope I can sleep well tonight._

 _“Whatever,”_ Nux sighed. _“I’m gonna hang with Storm and Aloe. See ya!”_

 _See ya,_ Ryan smiled as Nux’s voice faded away from his head.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan sighed as he entered the restaurant. Kiara ran out of the back room, her smile fading as she saw Ryan’s face.

“Didn’t sleep well, huh?” She asked.

“Damn, are my bags _that_ bad?” Ryan asked, rubbing his eyes.

“You know, a friend told me about something that might help,” Kiara said. “Apparently this fae is going around helping people going to sleep. Apparently, you just have to say ‘LemonLeaf’ three times before you go to bed to summon her.”

“Huh,” Ryan rubbed his chin. “Maybe I’ll try summoning her tonight. Thanks for the tip.”

“No problem,” Kiara smiled.

“Konpeko konpeko konpeko!” Ryan snapped around when Pekora barreled through the door. “It’s Hololive 3rd Gen’s Usada Pekora-peko!”

“You know, I think I should get dressed,” Ryan said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kiara smiled.

-

“But senpai~!” Ryan walked out of the break room to see Pekora sitting on a stool, patting Kiara’s head as she slumped over the counter, crocodile tears falling from her face. “Why can’t I have a hug~?”

“I’m an idol, Kiara,” Pekora smiled softly at the fire bird. “I belong to everyone.”

A mischievous smirk danced on Ryan’s face. He had a perfect opportunity, and he couldn’t help but take it. “You know, I met a shrine maiden named Sakura Miko on my day off,” Ryan said as he walked over to Kiara’s side. “She was talking a lot about this ‘idol’ she liked. You look exactly like the description she gave me. Is your name Usada Pekora by any chance?”

“M-Miko said she liked me?!” Pekora bounced back several feet, her face beet red in a blush.

“So much for belonging to everyone, huh?” Ryan chuckled, patting his manager on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Tenchou. You can go hug Calli later.”

“You’re right,” Kiara wiped her crocodile tears as she stood up.

“Kiara! Help!” Marine smashed through the door, stumbling before slamming on the counter with her stomach, causing her to keel over, hitting her head on the top of the counter. She instantly recovered, grabbing Pekora and hiding behind her.

“What’s going on-peko?” Pekora looked down at Marine, who was shaking and cowering behind the bunny girl.

“I AM NOT PETTAN!” Rusha shoved the doors open as hard as she can, her crimson eyes glowing as she exuded a murderous aura. “GET BACK HERE!”

“It’s okay,” Ryan said, walking around the counter and patting Rushia on the head, a comforting smile on his face. Naturally, he was scared out of his wits, but fortunately, he knew how to calm the flat-chested necromancer (AN: If this is the last update, I’m sorry). “She knows you’re boing boing. She’s jealous.”

“Y-you really think so…?” Rushia looked up at Ryan with a hopeful look.

“Of course,” Ryan tilted his head, his smile growing wider.

“Thank you!” Rushia exclaimed. “Finally! Someone who gets me!”

“How did you do that?” Kiara asked. “I’ve never seen Rushia calm down that quickly.”

“Suisei told me,” Ryan shrugged as he went back around the counter. “She figured that I should stay alive if she wanted to leech off my tea supplies every so often.”

“You already met Suisei?” Kiara tilted her head, putting a finger on her chin. “It’s a wonder you’re alive.”

“Yeah,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. “I don’t know how I managed to do that either.”

Ryan directed his attention to the door as Flare and Noel walked in, holding hands and showing off their ~~wedding~~ friendship rings. “So, you’re finally tying the knot?” Kiara asked. “I’m so happy for you two!”

“These are friendship rings!” Noel insisted, her face beet red. “The wedding comes later!”

“Whatever Noe-chan wants,” Flare said, a smile on her face.

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said. “Unfortunately, I only know a couple of your names. My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Uruha Rushia,” Rushia smiled. “Thank you for calling me boing boing.”

“Hololive’s 3rd Generation, captain of the Houshou Pirates, Houshou Marine-desu!” Marine said as she struck a pose. Kiara applauded her with stars in her eyes.

“I’m Shirogane Noel, and this is my husband, Shiranui Flare!” Noel cheered, holing out her and Flare’s friendship rings.

“I can introduce myself, Noe-chan,” Flare said. “But you’re adorable nonetheless.”

“What would you like to eat?” Kiara asked, catching everyone’s attention.

“GYUDON!” Noel exclaimed, her gluttony taking over.

“I’ll just shade with Noe-chan,” Flare said.

“Do you have some spare doujin?” Marine asked. “Preferably some of myself.”

“Do we _have_ doujin of Marine?” Ryan asked. “Does that even exist?”

“Remember the thirty-fourth rule of the internet,” Kiara smiled at Ryan, placing a hand on his head. “You have much to learn, my Little Egg.”

“I’ll have some strawberry cake,” Rushia said, hearts in her eyes as she looked at Ryan.

 _Oh god, not again,_ Ryan wasn’t scared of many things, but Rushia’s yandere mode was one of those things.

“Can I have sliced carrots-peko?” Pekora tilted her head.

“Sure! I’ll go cook all of it!” Kiara said.

“Wait!” Ryan extended his hand to his last lifeline as Kiara made her way towards the back room.

“Sorry!” Kiara turned her head to give Ryan an overly-cheery smile. “You’re on your own for this one!”

“Ryan…” A murderous aura caused Ryan to turn. Everyone had backed 5 feet away from Rushia as her eyes covered her bangs. Even though her eyes were covered, Ryan could still see a faint, red glow coming from her hair. “Why are you talking to other girls?”

“Shit.”

-

Ryan heaved a sigh as he flopped on his bed. He wanted to go to sleep, but he didn’t necessarily feel sleepy. “Maybe I should try that fae that Tenchou was talking about,” Ryan heaved a sigh as he sat up. “Well, here goes. LemonLeaf, LemonLeaf, LemonLeaf.”

With a soft glow, a girl appeared in front of Ryan. The girl had short, peach-colored hair that went down to the bottom of her neck. She wore a headband and a bow on each side of her hair. She wore a short, black cape that covered the top half of her body over a pink and white dress. Ryan gazed into her pink eyes as a soft smile creeped on the fairy’s face.

“You called me?” The fae apparently named LemonLeaf said, tilting her head.

“Actually, I was having a bit of insomnia,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, looking away. Despite his job at a fast food joint, he still had a tough time talking with strangers. “I heard from someone that you can help.”

“Well, I eat people’s nightmares,” LemonLeaf offered. “Most people who call me because they can’t sleep due to their nightmares.”

“Well, I don’t really get nightmares,” Ryan said. “I just can’t sleep. I’m sorry for wasting your time, LemonLeaf.”

“Feel free to call my Lily,” The now named Lily smiled. “Well, if I can’t eat your nightmares, then I guess your hopes and aspirations will have to do.”

Ryan tilted his head in confusion as he started to glow yellow. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Ryan sighed. “Nothing’s happening.”

“You… you have no hopes or aspirations…?” Lily said, gasping slightly.

“I mean, I guess,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “I’m pretty content with life right now. There _is_ my friend, though. I guess that’s not a hope, since I know he’s coming back.”

“You are… an interesting one,” Lily rubbed her chin. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan smiled. “Hey, if you can’t eat my nightmares or my hopes, you must be pretty hungry, right?”

“Yes,” Lily said with a small nod. “Why do you ask?”

Ryan stood up and walked over to his desk, grabbing a spare KFP pamphlet. He walked back to Lily and handed it to her. “It’s not open right now, but maybe you can try some fried chicken,” Ryan said. “Though knowing my boss, she probably learned how to slow-roast nightmares.”

“Hmm, if she did, then I would definitely love to go there,” Lily pondered the words. “Thank you for your suggestion. I guess I will take my leave now.”

“It was nice meeting you, Lily,” Ryan smiled and waved as Lily vanished in a soft glow. Ryan sighed as he curled up in his bed, closing his eyes. For the first time since Ryan came back in time, he was blessed with a deep, dreamless sleep.

-

**Day 008: Reunion**

Lamy sighed as she hugged Botan, a frown on her face. “It’s that time of year again, huh?”

“Yeah,” Botan put a hand on Lamy’s head as she looked up into the starry night. “I really miss Aloe.”

“I miss her too,” Lamy said, snuggling herself closer to the lion. “It’s been so long since HoloFive has really been together.”

“It just doesn’t feel the same,” Botan looked down.

“Let’s just hope she’s in a better place now,” Lamy replied, closing her eyes.

-

“So, the reunion is tomorrow,” Polka sat on her bed, looking down at her hands.

“Yup,” Nene walked over to sit down next to Polka. They were on a date with Ina earlier, but Ina had gone home early because Nene and Polka wanted to have a bit of time for themselves. “The reunion should really be a happy time… but…”

“I know,” Polka looked up, her eyes fixating on the door. “I just… I can’t believe it’s been so long already.”

“Yeah,” Nene pulled Polka into a hug. “Just promise you won’t leave me too.”

“I won’t,” Polka smiled as she wrapped her arms around the alien. “I love you, Nene.

“I love you too.”

-

“Hey Nux,” Ryan said out loud as he sat on his bed. “Can you come here for a moment?”

“What’s up?” Nux’s voice permeated the room as he stepped out of a white and blue flame. “I was hanging out with Storm and Aloe. Aloe’s actually pretty nice, ya know?”

“Yeah,” Ryan looked up at Nux, a sad smile on his face. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What do you need?” Nux asked. “It depends on the favor.”

“Today, all of Aloe’s friends are going to be at the KFP,” Ryan said, looking back down at his hands. “It would make them really happy if Aloe were able to stop by.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Nux said. “The poor girl deserves to see her friends again.”

“Thanks, Nux,” Ryan’s smile grew as he looked up at the pale man. “You’re not so bad.”

“Of course not,” Nux said as his white and blue flames started to cover his body. “I can only be the best.”

“The best, huh?” Ryan looked up at the ceiling as Nux’s flames completely diminished. “Sounds tiring.”

As Ryan closed his eyes, the phone began to ring.

-

Ryan knew exactly what kind of sake to get for Gen 5’s reunion. Fortunately, it costed exactly 400,000 yen, which is what Kiara had given Ryan to spend on the sake on top of his pay. “You know, it’s times like this where I really miss the RSFC,” Ryan muttered to himself. Sure, being a celebrity was annoying, but at least he got paid a decent amount, and by decent amount, he was probably one of the richest people on earth with all the sales his merchandise got.

“Drinking isn’t that good for you,” Ryan looked up from the bottle to see none other than Tokino Sora looking at him.

“It’s not for me,” Ryan chuckled. “As much as I could go for a cup right now, I already have ninety-nine problems and alcoholism isn’t one of them.”

“That’s good,” Sora nodded with a satisfied expression on her face.

“So, what’s a famous idol like Tokino Sora doing in a liquor store?” Ryan asked, tilting his head as a small smirk creeped up his face.

“Dang! I’ve been found out!” Sora looked around to make sure no one would rush over to her.

“Don’t worry,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not going to be a bother like that. It’s annoying if you ask me.”

“Thank you,” Sora heaved a sigh of relief. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“Ryan Shade…” Sora put a finger on her chin as she looked up. “I think I’ve heard the name before.”

“Probably not,” Ryan shrugged. “Well, I have to head off to work. It was nice meeting you, Sora.”

“Nice meeting you too,” Sora gave Ryan a smile as she gave him a peace sign.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan resisted the urge to wince as he walked off to pay for his sake. “Man, I really need to look into something to remedy that.”

-

“Welcome back, Nux,” Storm said as Nux stepped out of the white and blue flames that he always conjured. “Where did you go?”

“You really don’t know?” Nux asked. Storm responded with a shake of his head. “Man, the kid has been getting really good at magic, then.”

“Who are you talking about?” Storm asked. “I don’t think you’ve mentioned him before.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Nux chucked. “By the way, can I borrow Aloe for a day? Her friends are meeting up and it would be nice if she could see them again.”

“The void won’t be happy if you do it,” Storm said, his tone going deeper.

“I’ll deal with the void,” Nux said. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“If that’s the case, then I could look the other way,” Storm said.

“Thanks Storm,” Nux said. “You know, you’re a lot nicer than you let off.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Storm huffed as he turned his head away from Nux.

“Some things never changed,” Nux said with a small chuckle as he turned around and walked off.

-

“I brought it,” Ryan said as he opened the doors. Kiara was staring off into space, her head facing the break room door. Ryan sighed as he walked around the counter, softly placing his hand on Kiara’s head, taking extra care not to knock either of her hats off of her head.

“Eep!” Kiara jumped, her eyes fixating on Ryan. “You startled me!”

“That’s what you get for staring off into space during work,” Ryan said, handing Kiara the bottle of sake. “Here’s the sake.”

“Thanks,” Kiara smiled as she looked down at the bottle, cradling it gently. “This was her favorite sake.”

“I’m glad I chose well, then,” Ryan smiled softly. “I wonder who this person is to have so much of your respect.”

“You’ll find out,” Kiara looked up at Ryan. “It’s just not my story to tell.”

“POL!” As if on cue, Polka burst through the doors, a huge smile on her face. “Hello!”

“SUPER NENECHI HAS ARRIVED!” Nene leaped over Polka, landing in a pose.

 _Just as energetic as always,_ Ryan thought to himself as a smile creeped up on his face. “Good morning. My name is Ryan Shade.”

“I’m Omaru Polka! The phoe- I mean… Fennec girl!” Polka had to correct herself when Kiara gave her a glare.

“If you want to know my titles… then I am…” Nene started going off on a tangent that Ryan didn’t want or care to hear, “Nene! What do you think?”

“It was great…” Ryan said in a monotone voice.

“Really?! Thank you!” If Nene detected the dripping sarcasm coming from Ryan’s voice, she didn’t indicate that she did.

“Wow, it’s already so loud~,” Lamy said as she walked in, holding Botan’s hand.

“Hello!” Botan smiled brightly as the hand holding Lamy’s swayed back and forth.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan smiled at the couple as they walked over to the counter, taking a seat next to Nene and Polka.

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan introduced himself again with a patient smile. “What are yours?”

“My name is Yukihana Lamy!” Lamy introduced herself with a cheery voice and a slight slur.

“I’m Shishiro Botan, Lamy’s girlfriend,” Botan introduced herself before giving Ryan a menacing glare. “Don’t touch her.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Ryan held his hands up in surrender. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

“So, do you have it?” Botan then turned to Kiara.

“Of course,” Kiara said, placing the sake down on the counter. She squatted down, digging her way into one of the many cabinets under the counter before pulling out six sake cups and picture of Mano Aloe, who was giving the camera a smug smirk.

“If I may ask, who is this?” Ryan asked, looking at the picture. He’s seen Aloe a couple times before, but he can’t help but feel a twang of sadness when considering her fate. He wondered what happened to Aloe in the future timeline, considering she was probably the first person Storm saw when he was taken over.

“Her name was Mano Aloe,” Lamy snapped Ryan from his stupor. “And she was a hero…”

-

“Hey Aloe!” Nux bounded over to the succubus, who was cooking bento boxes. She had prepared a bento box for every member of HoloFive, a tradition she did every year on the day of her death.

“What’s up, Nux?” Aloe turned to look at Nux as she grabbed the boxes.

“Let’s go on a field trip together!” Nux said, grabbing onto Aloe’s arm.

“Wha-!” Before Aloe could finish, the two were gone in a flash of light.

-

Aloe and Nux appeared a few feet away from the KFP. “What the hell was that?!” Aloe shouted as Nux let go of her arm.

“It’s a field trip,” Nux answered honestly before pointing to the building. “Look.”

Aloe turned her head, her eyes tearing as she saw her friends and what looked like a picture of her. She then whirled around, throwing the boxes aside as she looked at Nux with furious eyes. “Why are you showing me this?!” Aloe demanded. “Are you doing this to make me suffer?!”

“You shouldn’t throw the boxes,” Nux opened his palm and the five bento boxes floated over to it, stacking themselves neatly on his hand. “I’m sure your friends won’t be able to eat it if it’s all over the floor.”

“What…?” Aloe took a step back, shock filling her eyes as she realized what Nux was saying. “Are you saying I can…?”

“You don’t have a lot of time,” Nux said, handing Aloe the boxes. “Storm and I will try to extend that time for as long as we can, but we can’t promise too much.”

“Thank you, Nux,” Aloe said, smiling softly. “Thank you so much.”

“Go get ‘em, kid,” Nux said as Aloe turned around and walked towards the KFP.

-

“Though I think it’s time for us to leave,” Botan heaved a sigh. “We still have one more place to go.”

“Yeah,” Nene looked down at her empty cup of sake. “We always visit Aloe’s grave after a reunion.”

“Who’s grave are you visiting?” Everyone turned as a familiar voice pierced everyone’s ears. When they rested their eyes on the door, the figure of Mano Aloe revealed herself holding five bento boxes, each colored specifically for a member of HoloFive.

“ALOE!” Lamy, Botan, Polka, and Nene all ran up from their seat, tackling Aloe in a hug.

“Guys!” Aloe desperately tried to balance the bento boxes with one hand. “You’re going to make me drop the food!”

“I got it,” Ryan sighed as he walked over, letting Aloe hand him the bento boxes.

“Thanks,” Aloe smiled at Ryan.

“No problem,” Ryan chuckled. “Don’t you have a reunion to get to?”

-

“So, I told Kiara I loved her, and Calli appeared out of nowhere!” Nene laughed along with her friends as she downed another cup of sake.

“You know, I think it’s time for the cheers,” Botan said. Kiara gestured for Ryan not to pour a cup for him or Kiara. He nodded and poured the five girls another cup of sake.

“Sisters?” Aloe smiled as the five raised their cups.

“Sisters,” all five of them bumped cups and downed their respective alcohol.

At that moment, dark mist started to leak from Aloe’s body. “What’s going on?” Polka asked. “Are you alright?”

“It looks like my short time here is coming to an end,” Aloe gave the group a sad smile. “I’m just happy that I could see all of you again.”

“Same here, but I’m going to muss you,” Nene said as she pulled Aloe into a hug.

“Be sure to stay safe, wherever you end up,” Botan said as she wrapped her arms around the two.

“Always remember to smile, alright?” Polka said as she joined the hug.

“And know this,” Lamy smiled as she joined the other four, “we’ll always be here for you.”

“Thank you. All of you,” Aloe smiled as her body dissolved into black mist.

-

“Hey Ryan,” Kiara called over as Ryan exited the break room with his normal clothing.

“What’s up, Tenchou?” Ryan asked, closing the door behind him.

“You knew Aloe was going to visit,” Kiara narrowed her eyes. “Don’t bother lying. I think I know you well enough to tell when you are.”

“As expected of my manager,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “Let’s just say I called in a favor.”

“Thank you,” Kiara’s suspicious expression faded instantly as a smile washed over her face. “I don’t really know everything about you, but I know that whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it for us.”

“You know, I should really be the one thanking you,” Ryan said as he walked towards the exit. As he opened the door, he stopped, turning his head to Kiara. “You were the one who saved me.”

-

“You really think you can meddle in my domain?!” The void roared at Nux, who was just covering his ears, a wicked smile on his face.

“It seems you’re losing control there, buddy,” Nux cackled. “Both figuratively and literally.”

“I will get you for this,” The void growled. “Mark my words. You and your friends will not prevail.”

“Yeah, yeah, you sound like every toxic asshole I’ve dealt with on Twitter,” Nux waved his hand dismissively. “Now fuck off. We don’t want you here.”

As the presence of the entity vanished, Nux chuckled softly. “Man, things are really going better than I expected.”

-

**Day 009: Sweet as Sin**

“Do you think it’s finally time to go to that KFP?” Mary asked Patra. She was laying upside down, playing on a Nintendo switch. “I wonder what kind of alcohol it has.”

“Nee-san, you need to keep an eye on your alcohol intake,” Patra was cleaning her KU100 microphone which was a plastic egg with ears. “Plus, it’s a fast food joint. How much alcohol could it really have?”

“I wonder if they cook souls,” Mico droned as she typed away on her keyboard. “That’s another win for me.”

“Darn it!” Charlotte heaved a sigh as she wheeled away from her computer. “Eating souls isn’t good, Mico. Think about how they feel.”

“Whatever you say, Tenshi,” Mico replied, emphasizing the last word.

“I’m not an angel!” Charlotte stood up to stomp on the floor, puffing her cheeks out in a puff.

“I’m bored~,” Patra whined. “Can we go now?”

“Sure,” Mary stood up, a smile on her face. “Let’s go out to eat.”

-

“You know, you’re really good at this,” Suisei said as she sipped on her tea.

“Good at what?” Ryan tilted his head. They hadn’t been doing anything other than talk about whether you should stack your Tetris pieces to the left or the right.

“I’ve known you for about a week, yet I barely know anything of value about you,” Suisei replied, putting a finger to her lips as she stared at Ryan intensely. “It’s not that I’m not enjoying these tea times, but I came here to get info on you.”

“What can I say?” Ryan shrugged. “I’ll tell you what you want to know when I’m comfortable saying it.”

“I guess we’re going to be having more of these sessions,” Suisei concluded.

“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought,” Ryan said, taking a sip of his hot cocoa. Ryan was never one for tea, but always kept a stash in case anyone came to visit. “I thought you would get mad at me or something.”

“I’m not that kind of person,” Suisei said, her normal smile returning to her face. “I don’t torture people who haven’t done anything.”

“I guess that puts you above MILF, at least,” Ryan rubbed his temples. “You don’t seem like a bad person. I hope we can actually become friends at some point.”

“Friends…” Suisei rubbed her chin, pondering the word. “That would sound nice.”

“Well, I’ll be here when you’re ready to give it a shot,” Ryan said as he looked at his phone. “Well, it looks like I have to get ready for work.”

“I guess I’ll see you around, then,” Suisei said, standing up. She walked out of the apartment and jumped out of the balcony.

“I’ll see you around,” Ryan echoed as he put on his hoodie, a small smile on his face.

-

Ryan smiled as he walked into the KFP. “Morning Tenchou,” he said his usual greeting as he walked around the counter.

“Morning Ryan!” Kiara chirped as she poked her head from the back room. “Can you help me out over here?”

“What’s up?” Ryan asked as he walked into the back room, only to connect his face with his palm as he saw a heap of ashes on the floor. “I’ll get the broom.”

“Wait!” Kiara grabbed onto Ryan’s leg, crocodile tears pouring from her eyes. “That’s my baby! My gaming console!”

“No Tenchou, that’s a pile of ashes,” Ryan said sternly, pointing at the ashen soul of what could have been a gaming console. “Let me do my job and clean it up.”

“Fine…” Kiara sat on her knees as Ryan got the broom and swept the mess up, throwing it in the trash. “My poor baby…”

“It’s okay,” Ryan put a hand on his manager’s head. “You can always try again.”

“I guess you’re right…” Kiara said with a depressed tone as she stood up, slumping her shoulders.

“Excuse me?” A woman’s voice called over from the main room. “Is anyone here?”

Both Ryan and Kiara walked out to see four women sitting at the counter. Ryan recognized two of them to be Patra and Mary, but the two other women were unrecognizable to him. The one to Patra’s left had navy blue hair, amber eyes, and what Ryan dubbed a ‘crown of thorns’, which was a crown of demon horns. She wore a similar outfit to Patra, but the pink was replaced with navy blue. The woman to Mary’s right had a deadpan expression on her face. Her right eye was covered by an eyepatch and she had green hair and a pair of horns. She wore a vest and a skirt, not leaving much for the imagination.

“Sorry for making you wait,” Ryan said politely as he walked up to the counter. “My name is Ryan Shade. May I take your orders?”

“Ooh, you’re a nice one~,” Mary smiled seductively as she leaned forward onto the counter. “What can a lady do to get a drink around here?”

“Nee-san, not now,” Patra sighed, shaking her head. “I heard you made fried chicken?”

“We do, but we also sell pretty much anything you can want!” Kiara said, back to her cheery self. “Onigiri? Gyudon? Souls? We have it all!”

“Ooh,” The green-haired demon hit her palm with her fist, her mouth taking the shape of Mt. Fuji. “Can I have some souls?”

“Sure!” Kiara chirped, her smile growing. “How would you like it cooked?”

“You can cook souls?” The demon asked.

“Of course!” Kiara cheered.

“I’ll have mine medium rare,” She replied. “Eat your souls like you eat your steak.”

“Before we continue, can I get your names?” Ryan asked.

“My name is Suou Patra,” Patra introduced herself with a small not, placing her hand to her upper chest as a gesture towards herself.

“I’m Saionji Mary,” Mary introduced herself, offering Ryan a wink.

“Sekishiro Mico,” The green-haired demon introduced herself.

“I’m Shimamura Charlotte!” The navy demon exclaimed, a huge, innocent smile on her face. “Nice to meet ’cha!”

“Thank you,” Ryan said, a soft smile growing on his face. “Now, may we continue to take your order?”

“I’ll have some onigiri,” Patra said.

“Do you have umeshu back there?” Mary tilted her head.

“Of course,” Ryan said. “We have all kinds of alcohol here.”

“I told you!” Mary looked at Patra.

“Nee-san, your alcohol intake,” Patra reminded her.

“I’ll pipe down on the alcohol once you get more sleep,” Mary shot back with a smug grim.

“Ehh…” Patra shuffled uncomfortably in her seat.

“I’ll just have some of the chicken!” Charlotte said excitedly. “I heard this place has some very good chicken.”

“Would you like it mild or spicy?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll have mild,” Charlotte replied.

“Alright, I’ll come back with your orders,” Kiara said. “Ryan here is a human, so he can’t exactly cook souls.”

“You’re a human?” Mico tilted her head. “Now that’s unexpected.”

“So _that’s_ what the pamphlet said by tormenting humans,” Mary said as if a lightbulb went off in her head. “Honestly, I kinda like it.”

“Tormenting humans isn’t nice,” Charlotte said. “Why can’t we just play video games with them? We do it all the time.”

“That sounds fun,” Ryan said. “As much as I want to play, I just don’t have the time anymore.”

“That sucks,” Charlotte said, her shoulders slumping.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan smiled. “I like life here.”

“I see,” Charlotte nodded, a satisfied expression on her face.

“You know, you remind me of someone,” Ryan narrowed his eyes. “She always claimed to be a devil but always did good things. Everyone called her an angel.”

“T-that’s nothing like me!” Charlotte’s face turned beet red. “I’m a demon! Not an angel!”

“Yep, exactly like her,” Ryan chuckled.

“I’m back!” Kiara cheered as she bounded over to the counter. She placed a plate of rice balls in front of Patra, a tub of Birb Mild Wings in front of Charlotte, a bottle of alcohol and a glass with a big chunk of ice in front of Mary, and placed an empty plate in front of Mico before three white flames drifted over to the plate.

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve seen cook souls this nicely,” Mico clasped her hands together, making the shape of Mt. Fuji with her mouth again.

“Thank you for the food!” Charlotte and Patra clasped their hands together, their eyes closed before digging in.

“Wow, this is some high-quality stuff,” Mary examined the limited-edition Usada Pekora plum wine bottle before pouring herself a glass. “I’m surprised you got your hands on this bottle.”

“Pekora probably saved Tenchou a bottle because she would have cried too loudly if she didn’t get one,” Ryan said, knowing for a fact that everything he said actually happened.

“Don’t expose me like that, you traitor!” Kiara playfully hammered Ryan’s arm.

“Whatever you say Tenchou,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, a smile growing on his face. “Whatever you say.”

-

“You know, when I decided to hire a human, I wasn’t expecting someone like you,” Kiara said as Ryan wiped down the counter.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Ryan said, throwing the dirty wipe in the trash.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Kiara put a finger on her chin, looking upwards. “I don’t like not knowing about my employees, but you seem to be a really nice person.”

“Of course,” Ryan said, smiling at Kiara. “I’m always nice to my friends.”

“You consider us friends already?!” Kiara exclaimed, tackling Ryan in a hug, nuzzling his cheek with his. “I’m so moved!”

“Tenchou…” Ryan said uncomfortably as black mist started to cover the floor. “I think you should let go…”

“Oh!” Kiara instantly separated herself from Ryan to look Calli in the eye. “Hi Calli!”

“I can explain,” Ryan said, his eyes wildly searching for an escape as sweat beat down his forehead.

“You can explain when I take your soul to the afterlife,” Calli growled, gripping her scythe with both of her hands.

“Ah, shit.”

-

Ryan heaved a sigh as he walked down the alley, his clothes torn and tattered. Fortunately, he narrowly avoided getting slashed by the deadly scythe. Sure, he’s cheated death before, but he doesn’t want to take any risks.

“You can come out,” Ryan said. If he would go down in history for having a particular talent, Ryan would go down for knowing when he was being stalked. With a gust of wind, Sabrina appeared a few feet behind Ryan with her mask on.

“You know, it wouldn’t have hurt you to call this past year,” Ryan turned to confront his friend.

“I guess I should have expected that,” Sabrina sighed, taking her mask off. “I’m sorry for not calling you. I guess I’m just not over Edhas being gone.”

“You and me both,” Ryan sighed, looking upwards.

“You met him?” Sabrina asked, tilting her head.

“He’s the whole reason I’m back,” Ryan said. “He was a huge prick, ya know?”

“He was,” Sabrina sighed. “I dated him after all.”

“Yeah, he told me about that,” Ryan chuckled. “You know, it feels pretty good to talk about this. I didn’t expect to spill the beans this early.”

“It’s healthy to let your feelings out,” Sabrina said, walking up to Ryan. She looked up and him with a smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around him. “Things must have been hard, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ryan hugged his friend back, burying his head in her shoulder. “It has been.”

-

**Day 010: Shocking**

Meimei Roro let out an evil grin as she turned off her computer. The humans she’s interacted with during her streams and on Twitter have all been very nice. Little do they know; she’s slowly seeping their souls through their computer. Roro rubbed her chin as she remembered some people saying that they would gladly offer her soul up to her, but since she can’t speak English, she just chalked it up to a mistranslation. (AN: Roro-chan if you’re reading this, I would offer you my soul, but Reina has it right now, so you’ll have to take it up with her.)

“What should I do now?” Roro asked herself, standing up to stretch. “I haven’t been to the human world yet. Maybe I should stop by.”

She paced around her room, deep in thought. “How will I get to the human world, though?” She turned around to see a particular orange pamphlet pinned to the wall. “I know! I’ll stop by KFP.”

-

“Morning Jam,” Yuni rolled over on her bed to look at the small alicorn that was laying beside her. Even though his eyes were closed, Yuni knew he was awake. “What do you want to do today?”

Jam twitched slightly, turning his head towards Yuni. “You had bread a couple of hours ago,” Yuni said. Jam replied with a shake of his head.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that all the bread was gone when I woke up earlier,” Yuni scolded, her eyes narrowing at the fluffy familiar. Jam just tilted his head in response.

“You have every idea what I’m talking about,” Yuni said as she stood up. Jam hovered in the air, his tiny wings moving slowly as he mostly used his magic to stay afloat.

“Maybe we should go to that place where Ryan recommended us,” Yuni said. “Just don’t destroy anything okay?”

Jam snorted.

“I guess I couldn’t expect much more than that,” Yuni heaved a sigh.

-

“Morning cutie,” Ryan opened his eyes to see Lily floating by his bedside, a small smile on her face.

“Please don’t call me that,” Ryan shuddered, remembering the large number of girls that have tried to kill each other and/or him to get his attention. “It brings up bad memories.”

“I see,” Lily giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

“So, what are you doing here?” Ryan asked, sitting up.

“I told you this before, you’re interesting,” Lily replied. “In my many years of eating dreams, I’ve never met someone like you.”

“I’m flattered,” Ryan sighed as he got out of bed, looking at his phone. “If you don’t mind, I need to head to work.”

“Speaking of your work, I may stop by with a friend soon,” Lily said. “I guess I’ll go now.”

“Nice talking to you again, Lily,” Ryan smiled.

“You’re an interesting one, being so nice to someone who tried to steal your hopes and aspirations from you,” Lily noted, tilting her head slightly.

“No harm, no fowl,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “You seem nice enough. It’s not like you’re after my life or something.”

“I see,” Lily said. “I guess being friends won’t be so bad.”

“I guess it won’t,” Ryan chuckled as Lily faded away with a small, yellow glow.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan stretched as he entered the restaurant. “How’s everything with you?”

“Things have been good,” Kiara said as she walked over from the break room. “I really like that we’re getting a lot more business. I might start asking people to tell their friends.”

“Nux gave me a few of those pamphlets if you want to hand them out,” Ryan offered.

“Sure!” Kiara chirped.

“I’ll get them to you later,” Ryan said, remembering that he can’t just summon them with magic or Kiara would get suspicious. “I left them back at my apartment.”

“Alright,” Kiara said. “That’s okay. You have work to do, after all.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ryan said as he made his way to the break room to get changed.

-

Ryan could feel the static in the air as he exited the break room. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as Ryan walked over to Kiara’s side. “What’s with the static?”

“I don’t know,” Kiara rubbed her thumb and index finger together. “Someone might be causing this.”

Both Ryan and Kiara’s attention were diverted when they heard the sound of doors opening, revealing a familiar horned girl and her familiar.

“Morning Yuni,” Ryan said, a small smile growing on his face.

“When you gave me the pamphlet, I didn’t expect to see you behind the counter,” Yuni said as she walked over to the counter, taking a seat at one of the stools.

“So cute!” Kiara looked like she was going to tackle Jam into a hug, but Ryan managed to grab her collar before that could happen.

“Tenchou, please don’t tackle customers when at work,” Ryan said, trying to hide the fearful expression on his face. If she somehow pissed Jam off, the chances of KFP being blown asunder would be a bit too high for Ryan’s liking. “Just because you can tackle Calli in a hug whenever you want doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to hug strangers without their consent.”

“Fine,” Kiara pouted as Ryan let go of her collar. “You two know each other?”

“Yuni was getting mugged so I scared the thugs off,” Ryan said simply. “Nothing too special.”

“I’m not sure ‘scared them off’ is the proper term to describe what happened,” Yuni said, Jam affirming Yuni’s words with a slight nod.

“Bah, technicalities,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “What would you like to eat?”

Jam snorted softly, wriggling in the air. “Jam wants bread,” Yuni said bluntly.

“Would you like it toasted?” Ryan asked.

“Just bread,” Yuni said. “A lot of bread.”

“I’ll go get it!” Kiara volunteered. “I’ll be right back.”

“Alright,” Ryan waved his manager off as she skipped over the back room, humming Hinotori to herself.

“Good morning!” A girl opened the door excitedly, speaking in broken English.

 _-999 hp! Super Effective!_ It was a miracle that Ryan didn’t pass out right then and there. The girl had dark purple hair tied in twin tails, pink and blue streaks along her bangs and two black, sharp horns. She wore a black hoodie with white, horned skulls sewn into the hoodie along with black wings that sprouted from her back. The hoodie went down to her upper legs, but Ryan still prayed to Matsuri that she was wearing something underneath. Who was he kidding? If it were up to Matsuri, she wouldn’t be wearing anything. The thing that piqued Ryan’s interest were the yellow roller skates. Roller skates were something Ryan was aware of but have never actually seen in public. The girl skated slowly over to a stool, taking a seat next to Yuni.

“My name is Meimei Roro!” The girl introduced herself, continuing to use broken English.

“My name is Fuwako Yuni and this is Jam,” Yuni introduced herself and her familiar.

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan said, unable to resist the temptation to smile at the little demon girl. She was just too cute. “What would you like to eat?”

“Do you have delicious human soul?” Roro tilted her head.

“How would you like it cooked?” Ryan asked.

“Cooked?” Roro tilted her head in a confused expression.

“My boss learned how to cook souls not too long ago,” Ryan said. “Would you like yours cooked?”

“Sure!” Roro chirped.

“Please hold on for a moment,” Ryan walked over to the back room, poking his head through.

“Hey Tenchou, can you get some roasted souls as well?” Ryan called over.

“Alright!” Kiara called back, followed by the sound of crashing and screaming.

Ryan walked back over to where Yuni and Roro was. “She’ll be here with your food in a moment.”

-

“I don’t know how much bread you wanted, so I just got a lot!” Kiara walked out, carrying around twenty loaves of bread, three golden-brown souls floating behind her.

“That’s perfect,” Yuni nodded as Kiara placed the loaves in front of her. Jam floated softly floated down, landing on the counter. With a slight nod of Jam’s head, an entire load of bread vanished.

“Woah,” Roro looked with stars in her eyes as the three souls drifted over to the plate Kiara placed in front of Roro. “Thank you for the food!”

“I never got to ask, but where did you even get those souls?” Ryan turned to Kiara.

“Let’s just say you don’t want to go to the Usual Room,” Kiara winked.

“I’ll… keep that in mind,” Ryan shuddered. There were very few things Ryan didn’t want to know: what happens when someone calls Rushia flat, what Nux does on his “free time”, and what goes on in the Usual Room.

“Thank you for the food!” Yuni smiled, catching Ryan’s attention. Jam was laying on his back, his little legs sticking out where the bread once was.

“How did you two manage to finish all of that so quickly?” Ryan asked, slightly shocked at the familiar’s gluttony.

“Don’t ask,” Yuni shook her head. “I don’t know where it goes either.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan said.

“Anyways, I better get going,” Yuni stood up. “I actually have a stream to get to.”

“You stream too?” Kiara tilted her head.

“Yeah,” Yuni nodded. “It’s the only way I can get myself out there.”

“A lot of magical creatures seem to be livestreaming,” Ryan noted, thinking about Botan, Amelia, and Gura.

“Recent technology makes it possible to turn yourself into a 2D avatar online,” Kiara explained. “The only way people will accept us is if they think we’re anime girls.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Roro rubbed her chin as she chewed on the last soul. “Maybe I can get souls that way.”

“I won’t encourage it, but I guess there’s nothing I can do about it,” Ryan heaved a sigh.

“Maybe I’ll try that now,” Roro said. “Thank you for the food.”

“No problem!” Kiara said. “I hope to see you again soon.”

Purple static started to surround Roro, and with a flash of light, she was gone, a purple volt of electricity flying out of the restaurant.

“Can’t say I’ve seen that before,” Yuni said. “I’ll see you around.”

-

Ryan heaved a sigh as he walked down the alley. He looked up at the sky, heaving a sigh. “What even is the point of this?” He asked himself. Suddenly, his senses screamed for him to move. He turned on his magic, whirling around to see a small beam of light firing at him at an alarming speed. He coated his hand with magic, backhanding the laser. The laser flew to the side, creating a hole in the alley.

“Wow, you’re better than I expected,” A slim man wearing a purple suit walked towards Ryan, clapping slowly. His hair was purple and ruffled and he had a horn on his head, small wings sprouting from his back.

“Who are you?” Ryan asked. The man looked like Yuni, but he seemed… off. His smile was a lot smugger and he could detect the faintest hint of hostility in his eyes bore into Ryan.

“It’s me, Jam,” The man said simply. “You don’t recognize me?”

“The last time I saw you, you were a tiny little plushie with a black hole for a stomach,” Ryan said, scowling deeply. “So, what do you want?”

“You know, something told me you were a stronger than you originally let on,” Jam said. “I need to make sure you’re not a threat to Yuni.”

“Man, why do people keep on thinking I’m a threat?” Ryan sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I’m just trying to make a living.”

“I could sense the negative energy radiating off of you,” Jam pointed out, the smirk slowly fading from his face. “It’s honestly suffocating. I’m surprised you haven’t gone insane or given up on life yet.”

“Who said I haven’t gone crazy?” Ryan chuckled dryly, forcing a smile. “I surely haven’t.”

“You’re a good kid, Ryan Shade,” Jam heaved a sigh, turning around. “Just don’t lose your way.”

With a wave of his hand, he was gone. Ryan sighed again. “I guess I haven’t been hiding things too well.”

-

“I think I’ve had enough action for one day,” Ryan said as he opened the door to the apartment complex. He climbed up to the third floor, walking down the hall until he was at the third room to the end. “Ah, home. How I’ve missed you so.”

When Ryan opened the door, he was surprised to see Suisei and Lily waiting for him. They both turned as the door opened, shadows over their eyes and the smile someone would give when they wanted to kill someone without looking psychotic.

“Ryan?” Both of them said at the same time, pointing at each other. “May I ask who this is?”

“Ah shit,” Ryan groaned, his shoulders slumping. “I can’t catch a break.”

-

**Day 011: The Bar**

“Uno,” Lily said as she placed down a card, a smirk on her face.

“Lily, you need to stop using your magic to alter your cards,” Ryan sighed, holding roughly half of the deck.

“You can’t even detect when we use magic,” Suisei giggled, placing down a card. “Just because you’re losing doesn’t mean we’re using magic.”

“Seriously, how do I not have any greens?” Ryan grumbled, drawing ten cards before placing down a green 5.

“I win,” Lily declared as she placed down a red 5. “Good game.”

“That was most certainly _not_ a good game,” Ryan said, looking at his watch. “Now I have to go call Tenchou. Shoo.”

“Boo, you’re no fun,” Lily said, pouting as she faded away with a soft, yellow glow. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Ryan,” Suisei said as she ran out the door, jumping off the balcony.

Ryan sighed as he grabbed his phone, calling Kiara’s number.

-

“C’mon Calli!” Kiara tugged on Calli’s arm; her other hand extended towards the break room. She was so close…. So…. close…

“No!” Calli protested. “We should only do that in your room! Or my room!”

“But I’m going to be at work every day!” Kiara protested. She stopped when she heard her phone ring, letting go of Calli’s arm as she looked at her pocket with a blank stare before grabbing her phone.

“Why’s Ryan calling?” She asked herself aloud as she accepted the call. “KIKKERIKIII~!!!”

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan’s voice came over the phone. “I was going to ask for a day off.”

“A day off?” Kiara tilted her head. Ryan was doing so well, so why would he need a day off?

“Something came up and…” Ryan paused. “I guess I’m not doing too well upstairs. I wanted to go see someone.”

“I see,” Kiara rubbed her chin. As a phoenix, she didn’t really value one’s physical health as much as most people, but something she put a lot of emphasis on was mental health. She knew what it was like to feel alone and depressed, having lived for eons. “That’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ryan.”

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan said before hanging up. Kiara and Calli looked at each other. As she put her phone back in her pocket, she narrowed her eyes, a sly smirk crawling up her face.

“The break room’s open~”

-

Roberu sighed as he opened his bar. Ever since Kiara opened her KFP, the bar started getting less traffic. Roberu didn’t mind, as everyone still showed up, but only during the evening. He preferred it that way, if he was being honest. All of Roberu’s favorite events happened in the evening, like that one time when he cut himself in half.

“Well, at least I have all this time to relax,” Roberu said to himself. As if the universe was playing some cruel joke on him, the door opened at that exact moment. Roberu looked up to see someone he hasn’t seen before, which was weird considering he hasn’t had someone new walk in since Anya, Ollie, and Reine a few months back. The man had short, messy black hair, his hood covering the top part of it. He wore a black hoodie and sweatpants and his brown eyes had huge bags under them.

“Welcome to Bar: ROBEL,” Roberu introduced himself. “My name is Yukoku Roberu. What’s yours?”

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” The man said, sitting down at one of the stools. “You got Dragonson liquor?”

“Sorry, we don’t serve anything that strong,” Roberu shook his head. He was surprised that he even knew what that was, considering that Dragonson liquor was banned pretty much everywhere in the human world, usually only being sold by magical creatures. When Roberu tried to search for any magical power the man could have been emanating, he found none.

“Shame,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “I’ll just have some plum wine, then. Do you have the limited edition Usada Pekora bottle?”

“I do, actually,” Roberu said, turning around and opening a cooler, taking out a bottle with the Usada Construction CEO on it, placing it in front of Ryan with a glass. He eyed Ryan. Whenever a human entered his bar, which this was the first occurrence, Roberu liked to do a test to see what kind of person they were. He waved his hand above the glass, and a chunk of ice summoned itself, dropping into the glass. Most human would be repulsed by the notion of magic, so depending on their reaction, Roberu could decide whether he wanted to serve them or not. He took another look at Ryan. He seemed to be zoning out, staring down at the counter.

“Ahem,” Ryan snapped awake as Roberu cleared his throat. “Your drink’s ready.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said, taking a sip before wincing a bit. “Now that I think of it, this is my first sip of alcohol.”

“Despite that, you wanted Dragonson liquor?” Roberu asked, tilting his head.

“I guess you can say life hasn’t been the kindest to me,” Ryan chuckled dryly, taking another sip. “This stuff isn’t actually that bad.”

“I’m glad that you think that,” Roberu smiled. This Ryan fellow was an odd person, but he seemed nice enough. “So, how did a human find his way in here?”

“I guess I’m not your average, run of the mill human,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Let’s just say I’m not the most fortunate person in the world.”

“I see,” Roberu rubbed his chin. It wasn’t often, but humans _do_ get wrapped into the magical world sometimes. He remembered Korone’s manager, who exclusively drinks coffee to try to keep up with Korone’s endurance. “Well, I welcome you here nonetheless.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said, a small smirk growing on his face as he took another sip. “I heard the bar is where you can vent all your problems. Is that right?”

“I’m always willing to listen to anything you have to say,” Roberu replied, his eyes focusing on Ryan, trying to anticipate what he would say. “I don’t accept any bigotry in my bar, though.”

“Wouldn’t expect any less from a mage,” Ryan chuckled dryly. So, Ryan _was_ paying attention when Roberu formed the chunk of ice. “Well, not too long ago, a friend of mine died. I wasn’t able to cope for a while. Let’s just say I made… a rash decision. I honestly don’t know if I did the right decision.”

“Why did you make your decision?” Roberu asked. He didn’t want to pry too much, but he couldn’t help but be curious.

“I guess you can say I followed my heart,” Ryan said. “I wasn’t thinking when I made the decision, honestly. I just did it.”

“Well, if you followed your heart, then you must have truly wanted what you would get out if it,” Roberu said. “Did it make you happy?”

“Honestly, it’s too early to say,” Ryan said. “It’s not that I regret it… it’s just that… some of the consequences are catching up to me.”

“Well, if you follow your heart, then I’m sure that you’ll power through any obstacle,” Roberu said. “You look like you’ve been fighting for a while.”

“Huh, I guess I do look like shit,” Ryan sighed, taking a bigger gulp. “Thanks for putting it lightly, though.”

“I didn’t really mean that,” Roberu chuckled, memories of his childhood flashing through his head. It would be an understatement to say he didn’t have the best childhood before his mentor came along to teach him magic. “You really do seem like a determined person.”

“Believe what you will,” Ryan scoffed, finishing the glass. “Can I have a second glass?”

“Sure,” Roberu poured Ryan a second glass. “Men happily believe what they wish.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ryan chuckled, taking another swig.

“Hi Roberu! KFP was closed so I decided to stop-,” Lamy’s voice was accompanied by the sound of the wooden door swinging open. “Ryan? Is that you?”

“You two have met?” Roberu tilted his head, intrigued.

“Ryan works at Kiara’s KFP,” Lamy explained as she sat down. “I’ll have a bottle of booze!”

“Of course,” Roberu took out a bottle of what seemed to be vodka. “I didn’t expect to find KFP’s famed employee here of all places.”

“I guess she’s already talking about me, huh?” Ryan heaved a sigh. It wasn’t as if he didn’t see it coming. Miko knew who he was the first time around. “Yeah, I work at KFP.”

“That’s interesting,” Roberu nodded. “Is anyone else coming with you?”

“She should be coming here…” Lamy paused when the door opened again. “Now.”

“Choco~n!” Choco’s voice rang throughout the bar.

“Morning, Choco-sensei,” Ryan turned around in his stool, a slight flush on his face. He really was a bad drinker. “It’s been… three years…? Sorry, my memory is a little hazy.”

“I’m surprised you remember me at all,” Choco put a hand to her mouth before walking over, taking a seat next to Ryan. “How’s my favorite student doing?”

“Not too well if you can tell,” Ryan said, finishing his second glass. “I’ll take another.”

“Whatever you say,” Roberu sighed, pouring Ryan a drink.

“Ne, since you’re drinking, why don’t we have a drinking competition?” Lamy asked.

“Actually, this is my first time dri-,”

“Nonsense,” Choco gave Ryan a seductive smirk. “It’d be a fun experience. C’mon. Give it a try~”

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed. He was in for a rough day.

-

Suisei worriedly paced down the street, a worried expression on her face. She hadn’t seen Ryan anywhere in the city and when she talked to Kiara, the phoenix told her he took a day off of work. She was scared that someone came after Ryan. She hoped the worse hadn’t come. She was headed to Bar: ROBEL to see if Roberu or anyone else that might be there to help.

“Roberu, I need your he-,” Suisei opened the door, cutting herself off when she saw the scene before her. Roberu’s bottom half was walking around the other side of the counter while his top half was on the counter itself while Choco and Lamy were chatting happily. This scene was normal for a late night at Bar: ROBEL but the part that surprised her was Ryan passed out on the counter, a deep flush on his face and a blue blanket draped over him.

“Oh, what’s up, Suisei?” Roberu turned to Suisei, his usual smile ever-present on his face.

“I was actually looking for him,” Suisei pointed at Ryan. “I couldn’t find him anywhere in the city. How did he even get in here? He’s human, right?”

“Beats me,” Roberu shrugged. “He’s been here all day. He passed out a couple hours ago, though.”

“How was he?” Suisei said. “I’ve been staying at his place for a few days now, but I can barely find out anything about him.”

“He’s very different from what I remember,” Choco put a finger on her chin. “I used to be his school nurse. He was a lot shyer and more immature than he is now, even when he’s drunk.”

“He’s a really fun person,” Lamy said. “I could tell he’s hiding something, but he’s a good person.”

“He actually reminds me of Amelia,” Roberu noted. “His smile can be contagious, but I can see the weariness in his eyes. It’s as if he’s lived longer than he actually has.”

“I see,” Suisei rubbed her chin. “Well, I might as well get him home.”

“Hey Suisei?” Choco caught the idol’s attention as she hoisted Ryan over her shoulder.

“Yes?” Suisei gave Choco an intimidating glare. No one was going to take Ryan away from her.

“Just take care of him for me,” Choco said. “Even though he’s changed, I know him. He’s going to make some dumb decisions.”

“I see,” Suisei looked at Ryan’s sleeping face, the slightest smile showing. “Don’t worry, Choco-sensei. You have my word.”

-

**Day 012: Angels Above**

Amatsuka Uto woke up the sound of her alarm, which a soft ringing. She didn’t need much to wake up and she didn’t want to wake up the neighbors with a loud alarm. “Good morning,” she said with a smile on her face as she looked out the window. Ever since the war on heaven three years ago, the state of heaven has improved. She stood up, stretching and yawning cutely as she changed out of her nightgown and into her standard dress. The first thing she did every day was check the mail, as the mailmen in heaven delivered mail at the crack of dawn. She walked down the hallway and opened the door. Along from receiving the normal promotional mail, there was a yellow letter, the sticker of a very familiar dog sealing the letter.

“Ame!” Uto chirped as she picked up the mail. She softly set it down on her kitchen table and channeled out of her body, causing the yellow letter to float up, the sticker gently unsticking itself as Uto poured herself a glass of milk. She plucked the letter from the air and examined the contents. There was a note and what looked like an orange pamphlet.

_“Hey Uto,_

_My friend opened up a fast food joint recently and I wanted you to come join us! I attached a pamphlet with this note. I wanted to scrub off the pentagram, but apparently, it’s a teleportation spell to the KFP. I hope to see you soon!_

_Your sister,_

_Amelia Watson”_

Uto heaved a sigh as she looked at the pamphlet. “At least my schedule’s free today.”

-

“Jeez, my head,” Ryan rubbed his head as he sat up. “What the hell happened yesterday?”

Ryan sighed as he stood up, noticing a note on his nightstand. He picked it up and started to read.

_“You passed out drunk last night, so I had to bring you here. I honestly can’t believe you were hanging out with other girls behind my back. We’re going to be having words tonight._

_-Hoshimachi Suisei”_

Ryan groaned, rolling his eyes. He could worry about the threats on his life later. For now, he had to get to work.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said as he walked into the restaurant, his throbbing headache refusing to ease up.

“So, apparently your definition of ‘seeing someone’ is to get piss drunk and pass out in a bar, huh?” Kiara looked at Ryan with an intimidating glare.

“I mean last time I had anywhere close to a counselor, it was Roboco-san,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head.

“Really?” Kiara rubbed her chin. “I don’t remember her offering to do that to anyone.”

“Oh really?” Ryan mentally bonked himself for opening his big mouth. “I might have dreamt that. It was my first time drinking alcohol.”

“Fair enough,” Kiara said. “Now go get changed. We have work to do.”

-

Amelia leaned on one of the walls of the alley, her arms crossed. Suddenly, a white flash of white appeared. “Hey sis,” Amelia waved, not even looking away from the flash of light.

“Ame-tan!” Uto tackled her sister in a hug. If Amelia wasn’t leaning on the wall, she would have fallen off. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been alright,” Amelia asked. “Gura moved in with me a couple weeks ago and I’m really happy now.”

“Ah, that must be nice,” Uto nodded her head, smiling.

“So, I heard you started streaming,” Amelia said. “How was that.”

“I’ve… had my ups and downs,” Uto said, visibly uncomfortable. “Anyways, you said you wanted to go to a restaurant?”

“Yeah,” Amelia started to walk. “Follow me.”

-

“Tenchou…” Kiara shuddered as Ryan opened the break room door, a downright scary look on his face. “Did you ground pound Calli in the break room?”

“H-how did you know…?” Kiara looked around nervously, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.

“You broke the table in half,” Ryan said in a calm voice, but if looks can kill, Kiara would be in the Phoenix Dimension by now.

“Uh… we were being passionate…?” Kiara tilted her head, praying that Ryan would just forgive her.

Before Ryan could say anything, the doors flew open. “What’s up?!” Ame exclaimed as she walked in. “Am I… interrupting something?”

“No, you’re fine,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “What’s up, Ame?”

“Since when did I say you were allowed to call me that?” Amelia narrowed her eyes.

“Can I?” Ryan tilted his head.

“Sure, it’s not like I care,” Amelia sighed.

“Is this the place you wanted me to come?” A vaguely familiar angel showed up behind Amelia, smiling softly with her arms in front of her. “Hello. My name is Amatsuka Uto.”

“Hello,” Ryan smiled back genuinely. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t able to give his customer service smile, but he knew something about Uto just made him smile. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Now, before Tenchou decides to pull a funny little prank, I’ll go make your orders,” Ryan said. “The usual for you, right? Uto, what would you like?”

“Did you just read my mind?” Kiara asked, but Ryan ignored her comment.

“How do you know my usual?” Amelia asked.

“You’re British,” Ryan deadpanned. “You want tea and mild chicken wings.”

“I’ve never been labeled like this, but you’re completely right,” Amelia said, a shocked expression on her face.

“I’ll have the same,” Uto nodded.

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan winced, putting a hand over his chest in a pained expression. “I’ll be bad in a second.”

“Are you alright?” Kiara asked, a concerned expression on her face.

“Yeah,” Ryan gave his boss a reassuring smile. “It’s just a condition. Nothing I can’t deal with.”

“If you insist,” Kiara said. “Though mark my words, I’m going to get Roboco-san and Choco-sensei someday to get it check out.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan sighed, entering the back room.

 _“Sorry I haven’t been checking in recently,”_ Nux’s voice caused Ryan to jump as he started to boil water.

 _Matsuri on high you scared me,_ Ryan sighed, turning on the frier. _What’s up?_

 _“Just wanted to see how you were doing,”_ Nux said. _“Aloe and Storm were really happy that she could stop by the other day.”_

 _I figured,_ Ryan said, dumping the chicken in. _Things have been going smoothly on my end. What’s going on over there?_

 _“Things have been going decently,”_ Nux said. _“Dealing with the void was easier than I expected. I expect they will make a move soon.”_

 _Well, it doesn’t have that much time to make one,_ Ryan said. _Is it aware?_

 _“Nope,”_ Nux replied. _“It doesn’t have to know either.”_

 _Alright,_ Ryan. _Be sure to stay outside of dimension so the time shift doesn’t affect you._

 _“Whatever you say, chief,”_ Nux said. At that moment, reality shifted. Ryan stumbled a bit. He knew exactly what was going on. He sighed. There was nothing he could do now.

“Food’s ready,” Ryan said as he walked out of the back room. Ryan shook his head when he saw a stone wedged in the floor. He casually stepped over it, serving the two their food.

“Ame, please don’t use _that_ to make pranks,” Ryan scolded, bonking the detective on the head.

“How do you know about that…” Amelia looked at Ryan, shocked.

“Know about what?” Kiara asked as both her and Uto gave Amelia a confused look.

“It’s our secret,” Ryan said before turning to Amelia. “Give it a couple days. I don’t know if I can reveal it yet.”

“Whatever,” Amelia sighed. She wanted to press more, but she knew how much of a taboo study time travel was. “It’s nothing.”

“Sorry Tenchou,” Ryan said. “I’ll explain it to you in a couple days.”

“It’s fine,” Kiara said, forcing a smile. “I know you’re not a bad person.”

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled. “You know you’re my best friend, right?”

“Really?!” Kiara’s eyes lit up as she attempted to tackle Ryan into a hug.

“I’m not sure Calli would appreciate that,” Ryan said.

“Thanks for not giving me salt, by the way,” Amelia said. “You’re a better person that someone I know.”

“You have to admit, it _was_ funny!” Kiara turned to Amelia.

“It really wasn’t,” Ryan sighed. “So, Uto. How’s heaven?”

“Ah, heaven is pretty nice,” Uto smiled wistfully. “It really is a nice place. How did you know I lived there?”

“Didn’t you tell me?” Ryan asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

“I don’t remember doing it,” Uto rubbed her chin. “But if you did, then I must have told you at some time.”

“Anyways, I wanted to get Uto to Bar: ROBEL as well before she goes back to heaven,” Amelia said. “I guess we should go now.”

“Ame-tan, I’m not sure if I should dri-,”

“Nonsense!” Amelia tugged on Uto’s arm as she headed for the door. “It’ll be fun.”

“Ah!” Uto yelped as she was dragged off by Ame.

“So, you started handing out pamphlets?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah!” Kiara chirped. “I wonder where they’ll end up.”

-

Reina Hardgore smiled in satisfaction as she finished her summoning circle. “Now for the soul,” she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and none other than the Author’s soul appeared in front of her. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Author-sama’s soul floated down into the center of the circle before phasing through the ground. As Reina started to chant, the circle started to glow. With a flash of purple light, a bunch of magical energy was expelled, sending Reina flying back.

“Wah!” A female voice was heard through the smoke. As the smoke dispelled, none other than Ninomae Ina’nis revealed herself. “Who summoned me?”

“Ina?!” Reina walked up the girl who was about her size. “Oh Matsuri, I’m such a huge fan!”

“Oh, are you Reina Hardgore?” Ina tilted her head. “I heard you were the next big witch in the abyss after I went to the surface.”

“Am I really that popular?” Reina tilted her head. “Anyways, how is the surface? Are you able to get a lot of souls there?”

“Why don’t you find out?” Ina summoned an orange pamphlet and gave it to Reina. “My friend wanted me to give out these pamphlets, so I might as well give one to you.”

“I see,” Reina said. “I hope to go there someday.”

“I hope to see you there,” Ina said. “Now, I was in the middle of a stream, so I must get going.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Reina bowed. “It was an honor meeting you, though!”

“It was nice meeting you too, Reina,” with a smile, Ina vanished.

-

Ryan smiled as he opened the door to his apartment. He had a pretty good day, despite a couple slip ups, but it’s not like any of it matter anyways. His time before going back into the past was short. “If I’m going to be honest, I’m going to miss all of this,” Ryan said as he walked in. “Whatever. I need to do what I need to do.”

“What are you going to miss?” A silky sweet voice was heard from behind Ryan, causing his entire spine to shudder.

“N-nothing,” Ryan turned around to see Suisei holding a rusted axe with both hands, a smile on her face.

“You’re right. It doesn’t matter,” Ryan took a step back as Suisei’s bangs covered her eyes. “We still need to talk about how you passed out in a bar with two ladies.”

“You know, I never intended for that to happen,” Ryan said, holding his hands up in surrender. “It was a total accident.”

“Doesn’t matter~,” Suisei slowly started walking towards Ryan. “You did it, and how you have to deal with the punishment.”

“Uh oh,” Ryan turned around, running for his room. When he turned the doorknob, his face paled when he realized the door was locked.

“I did the liberty of locking all the doors before you came back from work,” Suisei said as Ryan put his back to the door, looking for an escape. “Now, let’s talk.”

-

**Day 013: Lovers through Time**

“Ame~,” Gura whined, lying on the floor, hugging Amelia’s leg. “I’m hungry~”

“Gura, you ate an hour ago,” Ame grabbed Gura with both hands, lifting her up so that she would be eye level with her. “Don’t you want to let your food digest?”

“Nope! I want food!” Gura exclaimed. “Where do you want to eat?”

“Hmm, maybe we can go back to KFP,” Amelia replied. “I was just there yesterday with my sister, but I can take you today as well.”

“Thanks, Watson!” Gura chirped, leaning forward to give Amelia a peck on the lips.

“No problem, Gura,” Watson said, pulling the apex predator into a hug.

-

“Thanks for healing me,” Ryan said as Suisei channeled magic power into a particularly nasty gash, causing it to close up.

“It’s only natural, since I’m the one who hurt you in the first place,” Suisei smiled at Ryan. “You didn’t scream as much as I hoped, though.”

“Sorry, I guess I have a high pain tolerance,” Ryan sighed. “You _were_ pretty terrifying, though. I have to admit that.”

“Thank you,” Suisei said, her smile widening. “I try my best.”

“I really shouldn’t be enabling this kind of behavior,” Ryan shook his head.

“I appreciate the gesture nonetheless,” Suisei said as Ryan stood up.

“I’m gonna go to work,” Ryan said.

“I’ll see you later tonight,” Suisei said.

“Actually, I have something going on tonight,” Ryan said, giving Suisei a serious look. “Please don’t go looking for me. I’ll be back in the morning.”

“If you insist,” Suisei shook her head. “If you hang out with other girls, though, I won’t be _nearly_ as nice as I was last night.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryan chuckled as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said, opening the door.

“Hi Ryan!” Kiara said, a bright smile on her face. “How did you sleep?”

“I pissed off Suisei,” Ryan said simply.

“I better thank Matsuri that you’re alive,” Kiara said. “I’m really sorry you had to experience that.”

“It’s fine,” Ryan sighed. “It’s not your fault anyways.”

“Exactly,” Kiara said. “Now get dressed. We have work to do.”

-

“Morning,” Ryan walked out to see Gura and Amelia sitting at the counter, Kiara standing on the other side.

“Morning Ryan,” Amelia said. “I heard you pissed off Suisei.”

“Yeah, it didn’t go well,” Ryan said before turning to Gura. “Would you like salmon and rice again today?”

“Sure!” Gura smiled at Ryan. “Thanks, chumbud.”

“No problem,” Ryan said. “I already know what Ame wants, so I’ll go make it right now.”

“But Ryan~,” Kiara whined as Ryan started to turn around.

“What’s up, Tenchou?” Ryan asked.

“I didn’t cook yesterday. Can I cook today?” Kiara pleaded, giving Ryan her best cute phoenix eyes.

“Fine,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “You _are_ my boss, after all.”

“Thank you!” Kiara cheered, dashing to the back room.

“So, when are you two getting married?” Ryan turned to Gura and Amelia, the sudden question causing both of them to turn red.

“M-married?!” Both Gura and Ame exclaimed at the same time.

“Well…” Amelia shuffled uncomfortably.

“I was joking,” Ryan said, waving his hand dismissively. If they started making marriage preparations tomorrow, Amelia would be crushed when she went back in time.

“You better be…” Amelia shot Ryan a glare.

“You better keep one eye open when you sleep, Ryan,” Gura said. “I might be there to bite you.”

“Suisei likes to spend the night at my place,” Ryan said. “She _also_ doesn’t appreciate me hanging around other girls, for some reason. I don’t know why, but whatever.”

“On second thought, I’ll stay home with Ame,” Gura said, her face pale.

“Thought you would,” Ryan sighed. “Anyways, what’s going on?”

“There’s this really fun thing we’re doing tomo-,” Gura was cut off when Amelia clasped her hand tomorrow.

“Let’s not ruin the surprise, alright Gura?” Amelia smirked at her partner, removing her hand from Gura’s mouth.

“Alright,” Gura said. Of course, Ryan knew what was going on, but he still tilted his head to play along.

“What fun thing?” Ryan asked. “You know what, never mind. It’s not my place to pry.”

“Thank you for being respectful, Ryan,” Kiara said as she walked out of the back room, placing a cup of tea before Amelia along with a bowl of salmon and rice in front of Gura.

“Oh, so you’re involved in this too?” Ryan said, perking up. “Now _that’s_ interesting.”

“How is that interesting?” Kiara tilted her head. “We’re friends and friends hang out.”

“No reason,” Ryan shrugged. “Just thought it was interesting.”

“Fair enough,” Kiara said, waving you hand dismissively.

Ryan looked up when he heard the door open, seeing none other than YAGOO himself. “Good morning,” YAGOO said, sitting next to Amelia. He was wearing a suit, which Ryan had never seen YAGOO not wear and a fedora for some reason.

“Good morning,” Ryan said. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Tanigo Motoaki, but you can call me YAGOO,” The man said with a polite nod, offering his hand.

Ryan returned the handshake, a polite smile on his face.

“Your hands are callused,” YAGOO noted. “Do you practice swordsmanship?”

“I may have at one point,” Ryan shrugged. “My memory is a bit hazy.”

“So I’ve heard,” YAGOO said. “Kiara here has told me a lot about you.”

“I see,” Ryan nodded. “I wonder how Kiara learned about my amnesia.”

“I wonder indeed,” YAGOO said. “Some questions may not exactly have answers.”

“That is true,” Ryan said. “I guess I’ll let it go. It’s not like I have anything to do about it.”

“That’s good,” YAGOO nodded. “Well, I must get going. I have a lot of things to do today.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, YAGOO,” Ryan said.

“Likewise,” YAGOO said, adjusting his tie before turning around and leaving.

“That was tense,” Kiara said.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask,” Ryan turned to Kiara, smiling. “I’m sure you have your reasons in knowing. You’re a good person, so I trust you.”

“Thank you, Ryan,” Kiara said with a smile.

“No problem,” Ryan said, turning to Gura and Amelia. “Anyways, would you like seconds?”

-

“YAGOO,” YAGOO turned around when he saw Storm with his mask on.

“Welcome to the mortal plane, Storm,” YAGOO smiled as he shook the man’s hand. “What brings you here today?”

“What do you think of Ryan?” Storm asked.

“He’s quite something,” YAGOO said. “He seems to be far more observant that reported, but he’s willing to let it go. It’s as if he knows something he shouldn’t.”

“I see,” Storm rubbed his chin. “Do you think he’s ready to reobtain his magic?”

“Naturally,” YAGOO said. “He would make a great mage.”

“I see,” Storm said. “Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Only time will tell.”

“I was planning on doing it tomorrow,” YAGOO said. “Will you be there? I kind of need you there since you made the barrier in the first place.”

“I’ll be there, but whether or not it happens is up to fate,” Storm said.

“You’re being cryptic again, Storm,” YAGOO sighed.

“My words are easy to discern,” Storm said. “You just don’t care to discern them.”

“Fair enough,” YAGOO said. “Now, is that all you wanted to talk about?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask something else,” Storm said. “Would you know where Anya is?”

“You gave Anya to me a few months ago. You did an ancient ritual to turn her into a human,” YAGOO explained. “Why are you asking me this? You were the one who gave her to me.”

“Huh, I don’t remember doing that,” Storm said. “It doesn’t matter. I was going to do that anyways.”

“I see,” YAGOO said. “I wish you well.”

“Likewise,” Storm said as darkness started to cover him. When he was fully consumed by the darkness, he sunk into the shadows.

“It looks like my work isn’t over yet,” YAGOO shook his head. “No matter. I have an entertainment company to run.”

-

“So, how did it go?” Nux asked as Storm rose from the infinite blackness.

“It went alright,” Storm said. “Say, do you remember me giving Anya to YAGOO a few months back?”

“I don’t, actually,” Nux said. “Then again, I wasn’t around a few months ago, so I don’t really know.”

“I remember,” Aloe piped up. “Why do you ask?”

“Forgive me,” Storm shook his head. “I seem to be having problems with my memory.”

“That’s pretty serious, ya know?” Nux put a hand on Storm’s shoulder. “That can only mean one thing.”

“Yeah,” Storm sighed. “I guess it’s bound to happen.”

“No,” Nux put his other hand on Storm’s shoulder, shaking him a couple times. “What the hell has gotten in your head? You can’t just accept death like that. You have people that care for you. We’ll find a way out of this. Together.”

“You’re right,” Storm shook his head, taking off his mask. His grey eyes meeting Nux’s. “We’ll find our way out of this. We can do it.”

“Damn straight,” Nux smirked. “Now, turn that dumbass frown upside down. We got work to do.”

-

Ryan sighed as he looked at Grimm’s grave. “Sorry for bothering you, but I have nowhere else to go and think.”

“Who are you bothering?” Ryan didn’t even turn when he heard Grimm’s voice. Grimm appeared from a torrent of black flames. “It’s been a while, Edhas.”

“Sorry old man, but I’m not Edhas,” Ryan turned around, looking up at the tall man. “You’re looking considerably better.”

“You’re not Edhas?” Grimm tilted his head. “If that’s the case, how do you even know who I am?”

“Probably because of this,” Ryan raised his wrist, pulling up the sleeve of the hoodie enough for Grimm to see the jet black watch on his wrist.

“So, you’re a time traveler,” Grimm said, narrowing his eyes.

“Yeah, Nux actually came back with me,” Ryan said.

“I assume something bad happened then,” Grimm said.

“Nothing cataclysmic happened. You made the phoenix dimension, MILF was dismantled, and life became a lot better for magical beings. I even had a fan club if you could believe it,” Ryan chuckled to himself before giving Grimm a sad smile. “But things went south. Storm got his free will destroyed by the void. Things would have been very bad if… if Edhas didn’t sacrifice himself.”

“I see,” Grimm said. “You came back in time to reunite with your previous self? That’s kind of selfish of you.”

“I know, and I’ve had a lot of time think about it,” Ryan sighed. “But honestly, I can’t live without him. I know it’s selfish, but I don’t regret my decision.”

“You and Edhas are a lot alike, you know?” Grimm sighed. “I wish you luck. I’ll be around.”

As Grimm vanished in black flames, Ryan chuckled to himself. “I guess the opening act’s ending soon, huh? I guess I better get serious about all of this.”

-

**Day 014: The Fateful Day**

Ryan yawned as he opened the door to his apartment. He took the whole night to himself, reflecting on his life and what has happened since he worked at KFP. “So, you really _were_ out all night,” Suisei said as Ryan walked in. “Where did you go?”

“I went to visit the grave of an old friend,” Ryan replied. “You really need to find something better to do.”

“I’m hurt,” Suisei put her hands over her chest in a faux pained expression. “But I sense a tint of darkness in your aura. Where did you _really_ go?”

“I’m not lying,” Ryan said, holding his hands up. “I guess I just had a brief meeting with death.”

“What?!” Suisei immediately ran up to Ryan, examining him. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Ryan put his hand on Suisei’s head, causing her to stiffen. “I’m alright. Nothing bad happened. I have to get to work.”

“Actually, I also have something to get to,” Suisei perked up, as if she forgot something. “I need to go.”

“I’ll see you around, Suisei,” Ryan said, a small smile on his face.

“Likewise,” Suisei gave Ryan a wink before casually walking out of the room and jumping off the balcony.

-

Ryan sighed as he walked down the street. As he was going to turn the corner to enter the alley, a man in a gray hoodie caught his eye. He was seemingly loitering around, but Ryan knew who he was.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Ryan said. The man turned around; his piercing silver eyes meeting Ryan’s.

“You’re quite perceptive, Ryan Shade,” Storm said, his hands in his pockets. “I hope you can forgive me.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that what you’re about to do is unforgivable,” Ryan said, Storm stiffening slightly in response. “But I know it’s not your fault.”

“Thank you,” Storm said, bowing his head slightly.

“We’ll save you,” Ryan said. “I swear it.”

“Thank you,” Storm said.

“No problem,” Ryan said with a small smirk as he walked off to work.

-

Ryan took a deep breath as he looked at the KFP. All of the windows were covered by paper, so Ryan couldn’t see all of the people waiting for him. “You know, this was a really good run,” he said to himself. “God, I sound like I’m playing OverStory or something.”

“I guess there’s only one way to go,” Ryan chuckled to himself, opening the door.

“SURPRISE!” No matter how much Ryan prepared himself, he still jumped back when everyone shouted. It was a different crowd this time. There were some people that were there the first time around, that being Gura, Amelia, Calli, Ina, Marine, Noel, Flare, Rushia, Pekora, Suisei, Choco, Botan, Lamy, Polka, Nene, Roboco, and even Miko, but to Ryan’s surprise, people like Mana, David, Lily, Yuni, Roro, Charlotte, Mico, Patra, Mary, Roberu, and Uto there too.

Ryan took a step back, startled. “What’s this?”

Kiara then walked up, pulling Ryan into a hug. She pulled away, keeping her hands on Ryan’s shoulders as she smiled at him. “You’ve treated us so well these past two weeks, so we wanted to surprise you,” she said. “Thank for everything you’ve done for us.”

Tears welled up in Ryan’s eyes. He couldn’t help but be emotional. “Thank you,” Ryan pulled Kiara into a hug of his own before looking at everyone that showed up. “Thank you all for doing this. It truly means the world.”

“Now, enough of this sappy shit,” Kiara pulled away, a huge smile on her face. “Let’s party!”

-

Ryan walked out of the break room with his uniform on. “Fancy seeing you here,” Ryan told Suisei, who was sipping on a glass of plum wine. “I thought you had somewhere to be.”

“I did,” Suisei said. “Why wouldn’t I celebrate my friend?”

“Thank you Suisei,” Ryan said. “I think this is almost enough for me to forgive you for attempting to hack me into pieces the other day. Almost.”

“You tried to kill Ryan?!” Kiara zipped over. “I knew you were mad, but jeez!”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Ryan waved his manager off dismissively. “I’ve gotten used to it since Suisei moved into my place.”

“I only hang out overnight,” Suisei said.

“Ryan’s apartment is quite a nice place to hang out, actually,” Lily said, walking over to take a seat. “This place is pretty nice, especially since it’s in the human realm.”

“I’m flattered,” Kiara said. “You must be a fae, right? Are you this LemonLeaf I’ve heard of?”

“That would be me,” Lily smiled and nodded. “It’s an honor to meet you, Kiara.”

“Let’s keep my status a secret,” Kiara put a finger over her lips and winked at the fae. “I want to have at least _some_ things Ryan has yet to learn about me.”

“Whatever you say, Tenchou,” Ryan sighed. He then walked down a couple steps to where Gura, Ame, Calli, and Ina were.

“Sup Ryan,” Gura said. “Like what we did with the place?”

“Yeah,” Ryan said. He noticed that the paper was taken down, which was good so he knew when the helicopter would approach. “How are all of you?”

“I’m doing alright,” Calli sighed. “Things as substitute death are not fun, though. I barely have any free time anymore.”

“I hope things get better,” Ryan smiled softly, knowing things will only get worse for her. When Grimm officially announce his return, he will eventually dub Calli as the official grim reaper.

“I actually met a witch yesterday,” Ina said. “She’s apparently a huge fan of me. I didn’t even know I was so popular.”

“You stream and sell art,” Amelia pointed out. “Someone is bound to know you.”

“Fair enough,” Ina said. “How have you been, Ame?”

“Gura and I are doing great since we moved him together,” Amelia smiled.

“Yeah,” Gura nodded in agreement. “Off collabs have been a lot easier since then.”

“That makes sense,” Kiara said, walking over. “Calli, when are you going to move in with me?”

“Maybe when things start to calm down,” Calli sighed. “I’m still getting used to this new job.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan said. “Anyways, I think I have something to tell you right about now.”

“Are you finally going to spill your secret?” Kiara asked.

“Somewhat,” Ryan said. He waited for a few moments in silence until the sound of glass shattering crashed throughout the restaurant.

“The barrier!” Kiara shouted.

“Tenchou,” Ryan pushed Kiara aside. “Godspeed.”

He then turned his head slightly, his eyes fixating on the helicopter flying overhead. He raised his left hand, shooting what one would consider a vulgar gesture to the helicopter. Time seemed to slow for Ryan as he saw a bullet fly from the helicopter, smashing through the window.

 _It was fun while it lasted,_ Ryan thought as Kiara shouted out. With a sharp pain to Ryan’s temple, the world went black.

-

**Day 015: Repeat**

_Gura!_ Amelia snapped awake to the sound of her phone ringing. She looked around, her eyes welling up with tears as she saw her lover, sleeping soundly. She wiped her tears before grabbing her phone, walking out of the room.

“Amelia Watson,” Amelia shuddered as Jack’s voice rang through the phone. “Did you travel back in time?”

“I-I’m sorry Jack,” Amelia said, her voice shaking. The memories were still fresh in her mind from what happened in the future. The blood, the bullets, the sounds, the screams. “I had no choice… it was…”

“It’s okay,” Jack sighed. “I’m sorry for getting mad at you. I didn’t know something bad happened. I’m going to head to Japan. Stay put, alright? I’ll be here to help you this time.”

“T-thanks Jack,” Amelia said as she heard the line went dead.

“Ame?” Amelia turned around to see Gura rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, her tail swishing from side to side. “Why are you up so early?”

Amelia dashed towards Gura, squeezing her in a bone-crushing hug. “Gura!” Amelia cried, her tears now freely flowing from her face. “I’m so happy you’re safe.”

“Ame, nothing happened,” Gura said, hugging her girlfriend back. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Amelia smiled softly as she buried her head in Gura’s shoulder. “I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

-

 _“Wake up,”_ Nux’s voice rang throughout Ryan’s head. Ryan groaned and turned around in bed.

 _Five more minutes,_ Ryan groaned in his sleep, snuggling up with his pillow.

 _“I said WAKE THE FUCK UP!”_ Nux shouted.

“Ow!” Ryan shot up, rubbing his head, the loud mental shout giving him a headache. “Jeez, I’m up.”

 _“Welcome back to the past,”_ Nux said. _“You wouldn’t want to be late for work, now would you?”_

 _I guess not,_ Ryan said, standing up.

 _“Oh yeah, you might find a surprise for you when you get to work,”_ Nux said.

 _I don’t like the sound of that,_ Ryan heaved a sigh.

 _“Don’t worry. It’s not_ that _bad,”_ Nux defended.

 _You know, your definition and my definition of bad are two different things,_ Ryan said as he walked out the door.

-

“It looks like they went back in time,” The void’s voice rang throughout the eternal darkness as Nux stood there, his hands in his pockets. “I bet _that_ put a wrench in your plans.”

“What if I told you we anticipated for that?” Nux said, a smirk rising up his face.

“What?!” The void shouted. “That’s impossible!”

Nux lifted his hand, aiming a middle finger in no particular direction. “You’re going to have to learn that nothing’s impossible with me.”

-

Ryan smiled softly as he walked down the alleyway. This was the second time he’s traveled back in time and has been the third time since he got shot in the head. For any normal person, that would be a pretty bad track record, but for Ryan, he didn’t think it was that bad. Every time he got shot in the head, it would lead to something good happening in the future, such as saving the entire magical community or Edhas showing up in his head. This time, well that was a work in progress.

“Ah, home sweet home,” Ryan muttered to himself as he crossed the threshold to see KFP in all its glory. Well, as glorious as a small fast food joint can get. He looked at his clock. 6:00 am.

“Must have overslept again,” Ryan thought to himself, looking around. “Tenchou’s going to take a couple minutes, so I might as well relax.”

Ryan casually leaned on the wall of the restaurant, waiting for Kiara to show up. Low and behold, exactly three minutes later, Kiara walked down the alley, a wide smile on her face. “KIKKERIKIII~!!!” She exclaimed with wide, sparkling eyes as she crossed the threshold. “Sorry I’m late! I’m Takanashi Kiara!”

“Morning,” Ryan walked over, offering his hand to shake. “I’m Ryan Shade, but you probably knew that already. Are you going to be my boss here?”

“Yep!” Kiara chirped, her smile not wavering. “Just call me Tenchou while you’re here!”

“Whatever you say, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled softly. No matter how many times he sees her, he couldn’t help but smile at Kiara’s massive bundles of energy. If he was being honest, Ryan was a little envious, but he didn’t care. As long as he got to see his boss every day, he was happy.

“Now, let me get the door for you,” Kiara took a chain of keys from her belt, successfully picking out an orange key she unlocked the door, opening it for Ryan. “Your clothes will be in the break room. Everything’s set up, so I suggest you hurry up. We have work to do.”

“Alright,” Ryan smirked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Let’s do this.”

-

“C’mon Ame!” Gura said as she ran out of the door. “You’re lagging again!”

“Sorry Gura,” Amelia forced a smile as she walked along a little faster. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Gura waddled back to her girlfriend, looking at her with concerned eyes. “You’ve been like this all day.”

“Gura, the day just started,” Amelia said, smiling a bit more as Gura pouted at her. “I’m fine, though. I’m just a little out of it.”

“Wah!” Amelia looked up to see Ina walking over to them, her hand high as she waved to the couple.

“Ina!” Gura cried, running over to her friend, tackling her in a hug. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last!”

“Morning Ina,” Amelia smiled. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been Ame-zing, thank you for asking,” Ina said, chuckling at her own joke. “What about you?”

“I’ve been fine,” Amelia said. She knew it was a lie, but she didn’t want anyone to know about her trip through time. She didn’t know if she was ready to talk about it.

“Humu-humu,” Ina nodded, a satisfied smile on her face. “Now, shall we get going?”

“Yeah,” Amelia sighed, looking up at the sky. “Let’s.”

-

Ryan walked out of the break room to see Calli already there, Kiara midair as she dived over the counter. As he closed the door, he got to see Kiara ram into Calli in full force. “Guh!” Calli grunted, stumbling back, Kiara nuzzling her cheek. She put her hands on Kiara’s shoulders and pushed to no avail. “Get the f-word off, Kusotori!”

“Am I interrupting something?” Ryan asked, catching the couple’s attention. “If you two are being intimate, I can go back to the break room.”

“I-i-i-intimate?!” Calli exclaimed, her face turning beet red. “We are _not_ being intimate! Kusotori here is just being clingy!”

“Aw Calli, you know you love me~,” Kiara said, making a kissy-face as she tried to push herself closer to Calli.

“Tenchou, as much as I know you want to make out with your girlfriend, aren’t we on the clock?” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, one eye closed as he looked around awkwardly.

“Ah, you’re completely right!” Kiara took several steps away from Calli and walked back to her side of the counter. “Thanks for catching that!”

“Thanks for the save,” Calli walked up to Ryan, offering her hand to shake. “My name is Calliope Mori, but you can call me Calli, since you saved my ass back there.”

“It’s no problem. The name’s Ryan. Ryan Shade,” As Ryan shook Calli’s hand, the reaper stiffened slightly. Ryan pretended not to notice as he let go of Calli’s hand.

“Something about you seems… off,” Calli said. “It’s as if you’ve experienced death more than once.”

“Honestly, if you would ask me, I don’t know,” Ryan shook his head. “My memory has been a bit hazy. I can’t remember anything before last year.”

“That’s a shame,” Calli said. “By the way, you’ve been pretty tolerant of my scythe over here. Most people would freak out.”

“Well since Kiara was nuzzling you like that and you didn’t chop her into bits, I assumed that you wouldn’t be that hostile,” Ryan said. “It’s not my place to judge my boss’s choice in women.”

“W-we are not dating!” Calli stepped back, her face flushing once more.

“You two are _totally_ dating,” Ryan said, chuckling slightly. Before Calli opened her mouth to retort, the doors opened again.

-

A few minutes ago, Amelia, Gura, and Ina found themselves at the base of the alleyway. “Are you sure this is the place?” Ina asked. “I wouldn’t want you to al-lead me to the wrong place, Ame.”

“I remember Kiara talking about how she wanted the only entrance to be an alleyway so YAGOO could set up a barrier,” Amelia explained, resisting the urge to wince as the sounds of glass breaking started to consume her psyche.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go?!” Gura grabbed Amelia and Ina’s hand with both of hers and ran off. After a couple minutes of being dragged around, they crossed the threshold.

 _“Live on for me, Watson,”_ Gura’s voice rang in Amelia’s head as tears started to form in her eyes.

“Ame?” Gura poked her girlfriend’s cheek, snapping the detective out of her stupor. “Are you alright?”

“I… I’m fine,” Amelia shook her head. “I just need a minute… to think…”

“If you insist,” Gura said. “Just know you can talk to me whenever you need to, alright?”

“Thanks, Gura,” Amelia smiled sadly as she put a hand on her head. “Now go on. I’ll be there in a sec.”

“Whatever you say,” Gura said before turning around, walking to the restaurant with Ina.

-

“Morning!” Gura exclaimed as she walked through the doors, taking a seat next to Calli.

“Hi Gura! Hi Ina!” Kiara cheered as the lavender-haired eldritch vessel walked into the room behind Gura. “Where’s Ame?”

“She’ll be with us In-a minute,” Ina said, chuckling at her own joke. Kiara and Gura laughed excitedly at Ina’s pun while Calli just heaved a sigh. Ryan smiled softly as a plan formulated in his head.

“Yeah, Watson’s been out of it today,” Gura said. “I don’t know what’s up.”

“Ame Watson?” Ryan tilted his head. “Are you guys talking about Amelia Watson?”

“You know her?” Gura asked.

“Yeah, we met a couple weeks ago,” Ryan said. “Maybe I could try talking to her.”

“I mean I guess,” Gura said. “If you know her, then you might as well give it a shot.”

“I’ll let you go, but just this once!” Kiara said. “Friends are more important than work, after all.”

“Thanks,” Ryan smiled as he walked around the counter. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

-

Amelia shook violently as she sat down at the end of the alley, leaning on a wall. Memories flashed through her head as the events of the day before hit her like a flaming semitruck falling on her face. She didn’t know why but looking at the KFP triggered a bunch of memories that she would rather not remember. The MILF attack was a massacre, killing off mostly everyone. Amelia remembered everyone who died. She let out a shaky breath in attempt to steady herself, but it was to no avail.

“Morning,” Amelia stiffened as she heard a voice from beside her. She turned her head to see none other than Ryan sitting next to her. She admitted Ryan was a nice guy, and she considered him a friend, but she didn’t know him all too well. Furthermore, she didn’t remember him walking out of the restaurant at any time during his first day. Ryan buried his hands in his pockets and Amelia swore she felt a small bit of magic, but she chalked it off the her imagining things. Ryan then pulled out a pipe from his pocket and offered it to Amelia. “Want it?”

“I’ll pass,” Amelia said, exhaling shakily. “I don’t actually smoke.”

“Fair enough,” Ryan put the pipe back in his pocket, heaving a large sigh. “Yesterday was pretty shitty, huh?”

“Y-you remember…?” Amelia looked at him with wide eyes. Barely anyone should be able to sense when someone goes back in time, much less keep their memories.

“Yeah,” Ryan said, chuckling dryly. “Well, I don’t remember too much, considering I was shot in the head and all.”

“I see,” Amelia said, looking down. “I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?” Ryan turned to Amelia, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not like you could’ve anticipated someone breaking the barrier or whatever.”

“I know… I just…” Amelia sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you walk me through what happened?” Ryan said. “I want to know.”

“I-I don’t know if I can,” Amelia said. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

“Alright,” Ryan said. “That’s okay. You can tell me when you’re ready.”

“I’m not sure if that time will ever come, to be honest,” Amelia chuckled dryly.

“Well, look at the bright side,” Ryan said. “We’re in the past. We can fix everything.”

“You’re right,” Amelia said, her eyes flaring with determination. “I’ll be sure to try my best.”

“By the way, you said you were thinking of getting married to Gura,” Ryan said, looking at the wall.

“I-I never said that!” Amelia’s face turned beet red as she hit Ryan over the head.

“That’s besides the point,” Ryan said, digging into his pocket. He took out a small, blue box and gave it to Amelia. “Here. Thanks for being my friend, Ame.”

Amelia opened the box to see a beautiful rose gold ring with a diamond-shaped tanzanite in the middle, its deep blue radiating in the light. “What’s this…?” Amelia asked, closing the box and looking at Ryan.

“Why don’t you go put a ring on that baby shark of yours?” Ryan said. “You never know what you have until it’s gone, right?”

“I guess you’re right,” Amelia sighed, standing up. “Thanks, Ryan.”

“No problem,” Ryan smiled. “Now let’s go. Be careful not to spill the beans, though.”

-

Ryan opened the doors to the KFP, Amelia following not far behind. “Ame!” Gura ran over, tackling her soon-to-be fiancée in a hug. “I really missed you.”

“I know you did, my little apex predator,” Amelia smiled down at the little shark.

“Thanks for talking to her,” Gura then turned to Ryan. “What did you do?”

“I just gave her something to cheer her up,” Ryan winked at the shark.

“Ame~,” Gura whined. “We talked about ground pounding other people’s moms.”

“Who said it was her number?” Amelia asked, a smug smirk on her face.

“It isn’t?” Gura perked up.

“I’ll tell you tonight,” Amelia said.

“Fine,” Gura puffed out her cheeks in a pout.

“Anyways, I still haven’t gotten your names,” Ryan said, turning his attention to Ina and Gura.

“Oh, I’m Gawr Gura!” Gura introduced herself. “Nice to meet’cha!”

“Ninomae Ina’nis,” Ina said. “It’s a Nino-mae pleasure.”

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan chuckled at Ina’s bad pun. “Now, let’s get to work.”

-

“Hey Ryan!” Kiara shouted over. Ryan walked out of the break room in his casual clothing, the orange light of the setting sun hitting his body through the windows as he walked out.

“What’s up, Tenchou?” Ryan asked. Kiara walked over, handing him a stack of familiar pamphlets.

“I don’t know when I had these made, but since they’re here, I might as well give some of them to you to give out,” Kiara said.

“Oh really,” Ryan tilted his head, taking the pamphlets. “Thanks, Tenchou.”

“No, thank you,” Kiara smiled at Ryan, patting his shoulder. “You did surprisingly well for your first day. You didn’t even complain _once_!”

“I guess I’m just good at my job,” Ryan chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Kiara smiled as Ryan walked out the door. When he entered the alleyway, he instantly transferred the pamphlets to his magic storage, stopping in his tracks.

“It’s not polite to follow someone without their knowledge,” Ryan said, turning around to confront Jack.

“I was wondering if you went back in time with Amelia, but I guess this confirms it,” Jack said. “Though it’s suspicious. How do the both of you have a clock at the same time?”

“Use your head, old man,” Ryan scoffed. “Maybe you should take a break from all the alcohol.”

“My alcohol consumption is at a healthy level, thank you very much,” Jack lied as naturally as he breathed. “I’m taking it you’re from another time, then.”

“Bingo,” Ryan said. “It’s not like I can hide that from you, anyways. Before you ask, I’m not Edhas. I’m back here to save him.”

“I see,” Jack rubbed his chin. “Well, that’s all the info I need, since you’ll probably be telling us more as time goes on.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s how things like this go,” Ryan chuckled to himself. “I’ll see you around, Jack.”

“Ditto, Ryan,” Jack said as a green flame consumed him. When the flames settled down, he was gone.

-

Reina yawned as she woke up. “That was a nice nap,” she said to herself as she walked out of her room. “Now, what should I eat?”

She looked at her fridge, her eyes narrowing as she saw something she didn’t recognize attached to her fridge. “KFP…?” She wondered. “I don’t remember getting a pamphlet like that. Whatever. I might stop by one day. It seems interesting.”

-

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, a four-legged creature with a blue shirt walked up to a female version of the creature that seemed to be standing up. “Sup, I’m Bob.”

“Yes, that you are,” the girl said. Instead of the blue shirt, she wore a black jacket on top of a grey hoodie and a cap. As she felt a wave of magic pass through her, she looked up towards the sky. “Huh, things might be getting interesting soon. I might as well see what’s going on.”

-

**Day 016: hOI!**

YAGOO was standing on top of the HoloHQ, his short hair moving slightly with the breeze. “It’s been a while, YAGOO,” YAGOO tuned when he heard a voice, facing a person distinctly smaller than him. Her skin was a little pale, her eyes huge. Her black cap having flowers all over her caps. She wore a black jacket over a grey hoodie and grey sweatpants. She kept her hands in her pockets as she smiled at YAGOO.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Tem,” YAGOO said, his lips twitching upwards in a small smile. “Where’s Toby?”

“Oh, he’s out creating his own dimension and playing the piano as usual,” Temmie replied, imagining the snow white dog playing the piano as a familiar skeleton smiled behind him. “Anyways, I felt a huge burst of magic all the way where I’m from. Do you know what that was?”

“It seems that someone has come back in time in this area,” YAGOO said. “I think we both know who it is.”

“Do you know what happened?” Temmie asked.

“Not yet,” YAGOO replied, shaking his head. “It just happened yesterday and I’m still gathering info.”

“Huh, it seems interesting,” Temmie shrugged. “Do you have any idea where it could have come from?”

“I don’t have an exact location, but I did notice Dragonson go to a certain location,” YAGOO said as he walked up to Temmie, giving her a KFP pamphlet.

“Huh, that name brings back memories,” Temmie nodded. “How is Shade’s little group going? Last time I checked, there were only four numbers.”

“Quite of few of them have died,” YAGOO said. “There are officially eight numbers, but five of them are proclaimed dead. The only ones alive now are Shade, Dragonson, and the fourth mask, known as Godslayer.”

“I see,” Temmie smirked. “Well, I guess I’ll be getting lunch there tomorrow.”

-

“Morning,” Ryan woke up to see Lily sitting at the foot of his bed.

“Huh? How did you get in here?” Ryan woke up. He wasn’t necessarily alarmed by Lily, since he already knew her, but she shouldn’t know him by now.

“I woke up with this pamphlet on my nightstand,” Lily summoned a KFP pamphlet. “I decided to follow the small trace of magic that lingered on the pamphlet and this is one of the places where it led to.”

“I see,” Ryan said. So that confirmed that the pamphlets were beyond space and time. _How the hell did Nux manage to do that?_

“Sorry for the inconvenience, but I really have to get to work. Maybe you can stop by sometime,” Ryan said. “By the way, the name’s Ryan Shade. What’s yours?”

“My name is LemonLeaf, but you can call me Lily,” Lily replied, a soft smile on her face. “Maybe I can come tonight. Something tells me your nightmares would be most delightful.”

“I mean go ahead if you want to,” Ryan cracked his back. “I’ll see you later then.”

-

Ryan sighed as he cracked his neck while he walked down the alley. He suddenly felt a tugging sensation behind a back. “Good morning,” Ryan turned around, a smile tugging on his lips as he confronted Suisei.

“Good morning,” Suisei said with a sweet tone. “Are you heading to KFP as well?”

“Yeah, I recently got a job there,” Ryan ran his fingers through his hair. “What about you?”

“I’m one of Kiara’s friends, so I wanted to stop by and see how she’s doing,” Suisei explained. “Would you like to walk with me?”

Ryan’s smile widened. “It would be my pleasure.”

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara called as Ryan opened the door. “Oh, Suisei! I didn’t expect you to come here so early!”

“Good morning Kiara,” Suisei smiled. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. I see you’ve hired an interesting one.”

“You know, I would usually argue, but after yesterday, I guess I would consider my life interesting at this point,” Ryan grumbled.

“That’s besides the point!” Kiara said. “Go get changed! We already have a customer!”

“Whatever you say, Tenchou,” Ryan said with a small smile as he made his way to the clean, untainted break room.

-

Ryan opened the door to the break room just in time to see someone open the door. Ryan resisted the urge to sigh when he didn’t recognize the person, signifying that events have drastically changed once more. The woman was short, about Gura’s height. She wore a black cap with flowers designed all over it. She wore a black jacket over a grey hoodie, wearing grey sweatpants to top the outfit off. “Morning,” She said with a lazy wave. “Name’s Temmie.”

“Hi! I’m Takanashi Kiara!” Kiara introduced herself as Temmie sat down two seats away from Suisei. “Did you get a pamphlet? I’m surprised that people are already getting them.”

“Yeah, an old friend recommended me here,” She said, placing the pamphlet on the table.

“That’s nice,” Kiara said. “What would you like?”

“Do you have any cereal?” Temmie asked. “Preferably Tem Flakes.”

“Actually, we do,” Ryan said, earning a confused look from Kiara. “I got it.”

“Whatever you say,” Kiara said as Ryan went to the back. He knew that it was dumb, but he was raised by his Mama Birb to do anything he can to satisfy the customer. He flicked his magic on for a split second, summoning the box of cereal in his hand before turning off his magic, walking out.

“I found this while scrounging around in the back looking for a Sakura fan,” Ryan quipped, grabbing a bowl from underneath the counter. “Would you like milk with that?”

“Of course,” Tem nodded. “What kind of monster eats cereal without milk?”

“People who are lactose intolerant,” Suisei pointed out.

“Fair enough,” Temmie shrugged as Ryan went back to get milk.

“Here you go,” Ryan said, placing the gallon of milk on the counter.

“Thanks,” Temmie poured the cereal in the bowl _first_ (AN: Anyone who puts milk in first goes straight to the usual room) before pouring the milk. “Actually, I came here for another reason.”

“What would that be?” Ryan asked.

“Not too long ago, there was a spike in magical energy,” Ryan instantly stiffened when Temmie started to talk. “Does anyone know what the cause of that would be?”

 _Aw shit, here we go again,_ Ryan thought as he noticed Suisei perk her eyes up at him. “Actually, I’m completely human, so I wouldn’t know.”

“I see,” Temmie obviously didn’t believe Ryan, but seemingly accepted the answer for now.

“I haven’t felt anything out of the ordinary,” Kiara put a finger on chin.

“Me neither,” Suisei said. “Maybe someone else would know. There are a lot of magical creatures out and about.”

“That is true,” Temmie said, standing up, the entire box of Tem Flakes completely empty. She smiled, tossing a couple gold coins on the table. “Thanks for the food.”

“Huh, someone actually paid,” Ryan said as Temmie walked off. “Feel free to come back any time.”

“Why do you say that?” Kiara tilted her head towards Ryan.

“Did _anyone_ pay yesterday?” Ryan sighed, looking at Kiara.

“Fair point,” Kiara sighed in response, her shoulders slumping as Suisei giggled in the background.

-

Ryan sighed as he walked out of the break room. Suisei “left” a couple hours ago, but he knew that she was lurking around somewhere. “I’m clocking out, Tenchou,” he said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Kiara smiled. “You’re doing great! I’m surprised you haven’t passed out yet.”

“That shouldn’t be a gauge of performance,” Ryan muttered to himself before raising his voice again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tenchou.”

Ryan whistled “Heart Challenger” by none other than his manager when his senses started to flare. He whirled around, crossing his arms as a gust of wind threw him off of his feet, sharp blades of wind cutting Ryan in several places throughout his body. As he crashed to the floor, he heard another gust. When he opened his eyes, Suisei was holding the pointed tip of her golden battle axe pointed at him, her blue eyes glowing with magic.

“You’ve been acting quite suspicious,” Suisei said, a sweet smile on her face completely juxtaposing her murderous glare. “Mind telling me who you really are?”

“Wow, I never thought you would be so forward,” Ryan chuckled before wincing in pain. “Damn, those cuts really hurt, you know?”

“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would,” Suisei tilted her head. “I admire your courage, but it’s a shame that you wouldn’t scream more.”

“I’m just a fast food worker,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “I’m a NEET who recently got a job. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

“I don’t know about you, but that kind of sounds like bullshit,” Suisei replied.

“I mean, you’re probably going to stalk me either way,” Ryan sighed. “How about this. We can go to my place and you can interview me over tea. How does that sound?”

“That’s obviously a trap,” Suisei replied, narrowing her eyes.

“Would you want to go to your place then?” Ryan tilted his head. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to ask you for dinner, considering we barely know each other.”

“Whatever,” Suisei sighed as she dispelled her axe. “Let’s just go to your place. It’s closer anyways.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said. “Now, do you have bandages?”

-

Amelia heaved a sigh as she sat down on her bed. “Hey Ame,” Gura said, walking over, plopping herself next to her.

“What’s up, Gura?” Amelia asked, placing her hand over Gura’s.

“You said you were going to tell me something yesterday,” Gura said, her fingers intertwining with her girlfriend.

“I actually have a couple things I have to tell you,” Amelia said, heaving a sigh. “It’s just… hard to say it.”

“It’s okay,” Gura used her other hand to twist Amelia’s head so she was looking Gura in the eye. “You don’t have to say anything. I’ll be here for you no matter what, okay?”

“I can say it,” Amelia said. “Well, the first thing is…”

-

_“Ryan!” Kiara shouted as Ryan’s lifeless body fell over, blood starting to pool on the ground._

_“Holy shit!” Amelia took a step back. Everyone turned around just in time to see dozens of MILF soldiers walking out of the threshold, their weapons ready. Amelia barely had time to react before the opened fire. Calli leaped forward, twirling her scythe, but she couldn’t block all the bullets. One by one, people started to fall over, dead. Amelia was frozen in shock, not noticing the grenade that fell before her feet._

_“Ame!” Gura yelled, tackling the detective as the grenade exploded, causing both of them to fly backwards. They flew over the counter, Amelia hugging Gura as they hit the wall, falling down._

_“Gura!” Watson gasped as she saw the deep wounds all over Gura, a massive chunk of her tail completely gone._

_“Live on, Watson,” Gura smiled, brushing Amelia’s cheek with her hand before closing her eyes, her hand going limp._

_“Fuck…!” Tears streamed down Amelia’s face as instincts took over. She fumbled for her clock, twisting the dial._

_“Take me back… please take me back…” Amelia begged as she stared to glow. There was a flash of yellow light, and then nothing._

-

“So that’s how things went down,” Amelia said, sniffling. “I… I just…”

“It’s okay,” Gura said, pulling her girlfriend into a hug. “I’m here now. I promise I’m not going anywhere, alright?”

“Thanks, Gura,” Amelia said, hugging her back.

“What was the other thing you wanted to tell me?” Gura asked, pecking the detective on the cheek. “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to, though. I can wait.”

“It’s actually more of a question, really,” Amelia said, pulling away. She then got onto one knee, fumbling through her jacket pocket. She then pulled out the blue box that Ryan had given her the day before. _It’s now or never._

“Gawr Gura, my precious little apex predator,” Amelia smiled as she opened the box, Gura gasping, her hands over her mouth as she saw the contents of the box, “will you marry me?”

-

**Day 017: Birthday**

A-chan awoke to her alarm. She forced her eyes open, heavy bags under her eyes. “Wha…?” She fumbled around for her glasses, putting them on. “I guess I stayed up all night again.”

She stretched her arms before dragging herself over to her kitchen to grab herself a cup of coffee. She noticed that there was something on her kitchen table that she didn’t remember putting there. She walked over to look at it. It was an orange pamphlet with a sticky note attached to it. A-chan grabbed the sticky note. It had Sora’s handwriting.

_“Come meet us here today! -Sora”_

A-chan heaved a sigh. “Well, I guess I have no choice.”

-

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara shouted through the phone. Ryan smiled. He had missed the daily phone calls Kiara had given him when he first started working at KFP, but ever since he started arriving to work earlier, Kiara didn’t find a need for them.

“Good morning Tenchou,” Ryan said. “What’s up?”

“We’re preparing a surprise party for one of our friends!” Kiara exclaimed. “Are you able to get some alcohol for us? We’re going to be having the party at KFP.”

“Of course,” Ryan said. “Don’t worry about the money. I’ll handle it.”

“Are you sure?” Kiara asked. “I can pay for the alcohol if you want.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan said. “It’ll be my present.”

“If you insist,” Kiara said. “Be here as soon as you can, okay? I don’t want you spoiling the surprise.”

“Alright,” Ryan said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

-

Ryan smiled as he walked into the liquor store. He had used magic to get the money he needed to buy the alcohol. Was it morally correct? No. Was it legal? _Hell_ no, but Ryan was going to do it, considering that he hasn’t gotten paid by Kiara yet. He walked over to the alcohol section and picked out a bottle of sake, moving to the register. He perked up slightly when he saw a familiar person walk up behind him in line, holding a bag of instant coffee.

“Good morning,” Ryan said, hoping to make conversation. A-chan jumped a bit when Ryan spoke before she pushed up her glasses.

“Good morning,” A-chan gave Ryan a polite smile. “Nice day we have outside.”

“A nice day indeed,” Ryan said.

“Are you celebrating something?” A-chan asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah, my boss is celebrating her friend’s birthday party and she asked me to pick up the sake,” Ryan explained.

“Ah, it would be nice to celebrate my birthday like that,” A-chan sighed wistfully. “It’s not that my friends aren’t great people. I just tend to forget my birthday in all of the work I do.”

“That’s understandable,” Ryan said. He then realized that it was his turn to check out. “Well, I hope things look up for you.”

“I hope your party goes well for you as well,” A-chan gave Ryan one more polite smile as Ryan bought the sake and walked out, heading for KFP.

-

“Morning Ryan!” Kiara cheered as Ryan walked in to see a few people already there. He noticed Amelia, Gura, Sora, AZKi, Calli, Kiara, and Fubuki there.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan said politely as he offered her the sake. “I hope this is good enough.”

“This is perfect,” Kiara smiled at Ryan. “Thank you for going to get it.”

“Hi friend!” Fubuki chirped, bounding over to Ryan, extending her hand to shake. “I am the Friendly Fox, Shirakami Fubuki! It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Ryan Shade,” Ryan shook her hand, smiling softly before turning to Sora and AZKi. “May I know your names as well?”

“My name is Tokino Sora,” Sora bowed slightly as she introduced herself to Ryan. “Thank you for going out of your way to bring something for A-chan’s party.”

“My name is AZKi,” AZKi introduced herself, her hands on her hips. “It’s a pleasure.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Ryan said. “Actually, I think I met someone named A-chan at the liquor store.”

“Really?!” Sora gasped. “Then we need to hurry!”

“Alright,” Ryan said, cracking his neck. “Let’s do this.”

-

A-chan walked down the alleyway, casually holding her bag of instant coffee. She was there for the construction of KFP and remembered helping YAGOO set up the barrier. “Man, that really was a pain,” she muttered to herself as she crossed the threshold. The first thing she realized was that all the windows were covered up by the kind of brown paper you would see shopping bags made out of.

“What’s up with that?” She asked herself as she walked closer to the KFP. “Whatever. This is the place I was supposed to meet Sora, so I might as well get this over with.”

“SURPRISE!” A-chan jumped back when she opened the doors. A bunch of people were seemingly waiting for her as they all blasted confetti. Sora then walked up to A-chan, holding a cake. It had a messy drawing of A-chan done with frosting as well as the words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY A-CHAN”.

“Happy Birthday, A-chan,” Sora said, tilting her head as she smiled. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

“Thank you,” A-chan replied, lifting her glasses to wipe her eyes. “Thank you for this. Thank you for everything.”

-

“Man, I really forgot that it was my birthday, huh?” A-chan chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Thank you for going out of your way to do this for me.”

“Everyone here seems to like you a lot,” A-chan’s eyes widened slightly in shock as none other than the person she met at the liquor store was the one pouring her a cup. “I feel like you deserve this.”

“I’m surprised to see that the boss’s friend you were talking about was me,” A-chan said. “Thank you for going to get the sake.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Ryan smiled, setting the bottle down. He then turned his attention to Amelia and Gura. “So, did you two tie the know yet?”

“Yep!” Gura showed Ryan the beautiful tanzanite ring. “Ame proposed to me yesterday!”

“Congratulations,” Ryan said, turning to Amelia. “Looks like you have some balls on you.”

“Well, I’ve gone through much more painful things,” Amelia said, chuckling dryly. “But thanks for helping me out.”

“I also have to thank you,” Gura said. “You’ve been really nice to Ame over here. I really can’t thank you enough.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Ryan said simply.

“You already knew each other?” A-chan asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Ame and I have known each other for a couple weeks,” Ryan replied. “Our relationship is… complicated, but we’re friends.”

“I see,” A-chan pushed her glasses up, nodding. The doors then opened, revealing YAGOO as he walked in to take a seat next to A-chan.

“Sorry I’m late,” YAGOO said, turning to A-chan. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, YAGOO,” A-chan smiled. “I’m really happy that you could make it.”

“Of course I would come,” YAGOO said with a smile. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“Ne, A-chan!” Sora walked up, AZKi following close behind. “All of us came together and got you a present!”

“A present?” A-chan tilted her head. “You shouldn’t have.”

“You deserve it, though,” Sora said. She then gave A-chan a letter. When she opened it, she realized that Sora had gone around, having everyone write her a small message. She then looked up to Sora, who handed her a long staff with a large sapphire at the tip.

“This is for you,” Sora said. “I know that you have wanted your own for a while.”

“Thank you,” A-chan smiled as she took the staff, holding it close to her, as if it were a living thing. “It truly means a lot.”

“You deserve it,” Sora replied. “Thank you for all of your support.”

-

“Man, that was fun,” Ryan said as he stretched. Mostly everyone had left already, say for A-chan, Sora, AZKi, and YAGOO.

“You did pretty good out there,” Kiara slapped Ryan on the back, causing him to stiffen.

“That hurt, Tenchou,” Ryan grumbled.

“Thank you for sticking around this long, despite not knowing me too well,” A-chan said to Ryan.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to becoming friends,” Ryan replied.

“That sounds nice,” A-chan said, her smile widening. “It’s getting late, though and I have work tomorrow, so I think I should leave.”

“Actually, you can have tomorrow off,” YAGOO said. “You’ve done enough work for us. You deserve a break.”

“Really?” A-chan looked at YAGOO, her eyes sparkling.

“Maybe we can spend tomorrow together!” Sora suggested. “Would you like to come too, AZKi?”

“That sounds like a great idea!” AZKi clasped her hands together, a bright smile on her face.

“That settles it,” A-chan said. “The first thing I want to do is get a good night’s sleep.”

“Feel free to stop by any time,” Kiara said.

“I will,” A-chan said as the four of them took their leave.

“You know, it felt pretty good to do something good like that for someone, eh?” Kiara playfully punched Ryan’s arm. “What do you think, my Little Egg?”

“I think it felt great,” Ryan replied as he smiled off into the distance. “I think I want to do more good things and help more people.”

“That sounds like a good sentiment,” Kiara said, turning to stare into the distance with Ryan.

“Yeah,” Ryan said, sadness flashing through his eyes. “It does.”

-

**Day 018: A Better Life**

Ryan sighed as he rewrote the letter to King Peafowl VII. He decided to be a bit more of an asshole this time around, because honestly, King Peafowl deserved it. “You know, I really wonder where that MILF soldier went,” Ryan said. “Eh, he’s probably dead somewhere.”

“I assume you want me to give that to Grimm,” Nux said, appearing in Ryan’s room with his signature white and blue fire.

“Yeah,” Ryan handed Nux the letter. “Thanks for that by the way.”

“No problem,” Nux said. “How are things doing down here?”

“I’m doing alright,” Ryan replied, standing up. “What about you?”

“I’m sure the void is planning,” Nux replied. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure we can handle it.”

“That’s fair,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “We need to take care of that though.”

“Whatever,” Nux waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t you need to get to work?”

“Actually, I do,” Ryan replied, perking up as if he forgot something. “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, see you around,” Nux said, chuckling to himself as he vanished with a flash of fire.

-

Jerry sighed as he and his partner Ronald walked up the stairs. They got a report for a cat girl living in this apartment complex, so he and Roland were assigned to take her out. “Man, I don’t think I can bring myself to kill her,” Jerry said, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Why not? She’s a fucking monster,” Ronald growled. “I have no qualms.”

“Man, what the fuck is wrong with people here?” Jerry muttered to himself as he stopped at the door. “Here we are.”

Roland walked up to the door and pounded on it. “We know you’re in there!”

There was a moment of silence before a faint sound of glass shattering was heard from the other side. “She jumped out the window!” Jerry exclaimed.

“Let’s go!” Ronald shouted, running down the stairs. Jerry sighed. This was his life now.

-

Ryan sighed as he walked down the street. “Man, even though we’re not in a time of peace, things really seem to be uneventful,” Ryan muttered to himself as he turned to walk down the alley.

“Get back here!” Ryan turned when he heard a voice. He then saw a Cat girl with long, blue hair with purple streaks dashing down the alley on all fours, being followed by two fully-armed MILF soldiers. She then passed Ryan, skidding to a halt. Before anyone can react, the girl grabbed Ryan, holding a kitchen knife at his neck.

“Stop!” The girl demanded, holding Ryan closer to her. “I’ll kill him if you get closer!”

 _You know, I really need to stop opening my fatass mouth,_ Ryan sighed. He wasn’t afraid since he could just use magic to protect himself. His eyes moved towards to the girl. Her eyes were wild with fear and the hand holding the knife was shaking wildly.

“Do you want some help?” Ryan whispered over to her.

“Help?!” The girl whispered back. “I’m holding you at knifepoint!”

“Whatever,” Ryan sighed. He plucked the knife from the girl’s hand with his fingers before throwing it, hitting one of the soldiers in the head. He pushed the cat girl to the side, diving to the opposite side as the other man opened fire. Ryan dashed for the dead guard, trying his best to avoid gunfire without using magic. He winced as a bullet hit his leg. He stumbled, landing before the dead MILF guard. He quickly grabbed the rifle off of his corpse and shot the surviving soldier in the head three times.

“Damn,” Ryan swore as he watched blood seep from his leg. He tore the fabric from of the dead soldier’s shirt, wrapping it around his leg. He then turned to the cat girl who stiffened as his eyes landed on hers. “You, do you know healing magic?”

“Y-yes,” The girl responded, inching closer to Ryan.

“Can you help me out here?” Ryan asked. Of course, he was capable of healing himself, but he didn’t want to risk using magic that close to KFP.

“S-sure,” The girl walked over to Ryan. “It’s the least I could do for saving your life.”

“It was nothing,” Ryan winced as the girl started to use her healing magic. “Name’s Ryan Shade.”

“I’m Neko Neneka,” The girl introduced herself. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“No problem,” Ryan said. “Being chased by MILF must be tough, huh?”

“Like you would know,” Neko scoffed. Ryan could tell she was still wary. He understood her hate for humans. If he was a magical being in this time, he would hate humans too.

“You know, this isn’t the first time I got shot at by them,” Ryan said, causing her to stiffen slightly. “Do you have a place to stay? Judging by your lack of equipment, I bet they chased you out of your place.”

“N-no, actually,” Neko looked down. “I really worked hard to get that place too.”

“Why don’t you come to my place of work?” Ryan said.

“N-no, I don’t need that,” Neko took a step back, Ryan’s leg completely healed. “I don’t need any help.”

“If it makes you feel better, my boss isn’t human, though I’m not supposed to know that,” Ryan said, watching her ears perk up. “Plus, if it was a trap, why would I kill two people and risk my life for someone I’ve never met?”

“Fine,” Neko said, turning her face in a pout. Ryan tried to stand up but stumbled forward.

“Here, let me help you,” Neko grabbed Ryan’s arm, hoisting it on her shoulder.

“Thanks,” Ryan said.

“No problem,” Neko, for the first time, gave Ryan a smile, even if it was miniscule. “It’s the least I can do. Now, where is this place of work?”

-

“Ryan! You’re la-,” Kiara stopped when she saw an unfamiliar girl supporting Ryan inside. “Ryan! What the fuck happened?!”

“Uhh… I found a stray…?” Ryan tried his best to shrug, only to be cuffed in the ear by Neko.

“Don’t call me a stray!” Neko chastised.

“What else was I supposed to say? Someone held me hostage against two MILF soldiers so I decided to whip out my latent skills and kill the people that had the guns pointed at my captor?” Ryan asked.

“I guess… you have a point,” Neko replied.

“Wait, you WHAT?!” Kiara’s voice threatened to make the glass crack. “Both of you, sit down! You two need to explain yourself!”

Ryan and Neko shrunk at Kiara’s shouts, both making their way towards the stools. Even Neko was scared of Kiara, even though she had never met her before.

“So, here’s how things went down…”

-

“Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you,” Kiara smiled, patting Ryan on the head. “I’m proud of you, my Little Egg.”

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan grumbled, looking to the side as if he was a ten year old that claimed to be ‘too old’ for headpats.

“So, what would we do now?” Ryan asked.

“Well, now that I’m on government record as being a cat girl, I don’t think I’ll be keeping my job,” Neko said, her ears drooping down. “I don’t have a place to stay either.”

“You know, I think the place next to mine freed up,” Ryan said. He vaguely remembered someone moving out, but if that wasn’t the case, he was sure Kiara could deal with it.

“Maybe you can get a job here,” Kiara said. “We pay good.”

“W-what?!” Neko almost fell off her seat. “I-I can’t possibly do that!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kiara said. “We can work something out for you.”

“Well at least stay at the apartment,” Ryan sighed. “We’re trying to do something good for you.”

“Okay…” Neko looked down. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s good,” Ryan said. “Actually, speaking of strays, I actually have to talk to someone.”

“You know, since you were already late, I can just give you the day off,” Kiara offered.

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

-

David was standing in the middle of the Sahara Desert, looking up at the blazing sunlight. “Damn, you look pitiful,” David snapped around to see a guy, roughly 18 walking towards him, dust circling up around him.

“Who the hell are you?!” David’s arms turned into wings as he flew up several feet, kicking up a storm of dust towards the man as he elevated from the ground. The man didn’t react, just walking forward. All the dust that went towards him just moved around the man.

“Calm down,” The man said, smirking at him. “My name is Ryan Shade.”

“Ryan Shade? As in the kid working for Kiara?” David only narrowed his eyes. “Last I checked, he was a normal human. How the hell can he be over here?”

“Don’t ask,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “Anyways, I need to get you to KFP.”

“Why the hell do you need to get me to KFP?” David said. “I don’t want to see her.”

David flinched as Ryan bent his knees, jumping up so he was only a couple inches from the sand bird. “Life’s about things you don’t want to do,” he said as he grabbed David’s ear and with a flash of light, they vanished.

-

Kiara smiled as she washed the dishes. Neko had gone to Ryan’s apartment with one month’s rent after she had a plate of fish and rice and was just about to close up when the doors burst open.

“Ow! What the hell?!” A familiar voice caused Kiara turned around. There she saw Ryan, dragging David through the door by his ear. “Is this really necessary?!”

“Yes,” Ryan said, shoving him towards Kiara. “I think you have something to say to her.”

“David!” Kiara tackled the dusty man into a hug. “It’s been so long!”

“Kiara…” David hugged her for a split second before pulling away. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry…”

“Sorry for what?” Kiara tilted her head, obviously confused.

“I’m sorry for being a coward,” David explained. “I ran off as soon as I proposed to you.”

“David,” Kiara pulled David into another hug. “You’re still my friend. I never thought that ruined our relationship at all. We’ll always be friends, okay?”

“Okay…” David buried his head into Kiara’s shoulder.

“Tha-,” Kiara looked up to thank Ryan for bringing her friend back to her, but he was already gone. “Heh, he’s always been quite mysterious.”

-

**Day 19: Big Red Heart**

Lily smiled as she watched Ryan sleep. She was introduced to Suisei earlier that night. It would have been a dangerous event if Ryan hadn’t stepped in. She and Suisei had a lot in common, which honestly wasn’t a good thing, but they got along well enough. Ryan turned in early, claiming to have a long day. Suisei left because she was bored, opting to practice playing Tetris, leaving Lily alone with Ryan. “Now, let’s see what kind of dreams this one has,” she said, licking her lips. She held out her hand towards Ryan’s head, a yellow glow coming from her hand. Emotions flooded into her, converting into energy as she started to consume Ryan’s dreams.

“How sad,” The smile from Lily’s face vanished as she started to process the emotions. She doesn’t actually feel the emotions but can judge what they are by the amount of energy each dream gave her. The stronger the negative emotions, the more energy she received. She didn’t feel fear coming from him, as the energy she received was sporadic, like consuming a lot of sugar. She felt a lot of sadness from Ryan, the energy being filling and satisfying.

“Such a troubled individual,” Lily sighed as she moved her hand from her side, the glow fading. “I truly feel sorry for him.”

With a small glow, she was gone.

-

Ryan snapped awake when he heard knocking on the door. He summoned his gun, creeping towards the door. “Who is it?” He asked, holding the gun at the door.

“It’s Neko,” Neko said. Ryan let his muscles relax as he let go of the gun, letting it fade back into the ether before opening the door.

“What’s up?” Ryan tilted his head.

“I decided to apply for KFP the normal way,” Neko said. “I was honest about who I was, and I got a job in a joint not too far from here! Apparently, it’s a couple blocks away from a bar called bar: ROBEL or something, so it’s perfect!”

“That’s great,” Ryan smiled, remembering his one visit to the bar. “It’s a great place. I actually got my first glass of alcohol there.”

“Really?” Neko tilted her head. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Alright,” Ryan said. “I’m sure the manager isn’t as bad as Tenchou, though, so you have a couple more hours to sleep in.”

“That’s true,” Neko nodded. “I’ll see you around, Ryan.”

“See you around,” Ryan said as Neko went off to her room. “Me, on the other hand is another story. I guess I better get to work.”

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he opened the door to the KFP. “Did you hear that Neko got accepted to her own KFP?”

“Of course!” Kiara smiled as she popped up from under the counter.

“I just hope her manager isn’t as much of a slave driver as you are,” Ryan heaved a sigh.

“Huh? I don’t understand,” Kiara put a finger to her lips, looking upwards as if she was trying to remember something. “She _is_ the manager.”

“Uhh,” Ryan shuffled uncomfortably. “You know what? I’m going to go get changed.”

“Alright!” Kiara chirped.

-

It was only a couple seconds after Ryan steeped out of the break room for the door to burst open. “HAACHAMACHAMAA!” Both Ryan and Kiara paled as they heard the word.

“HAACHAMA?!” Kiara exclaimed. Ryan turned to look at the girl. Among a second look, Ryan could detect the pain and sadness in her eyes.

“Who’s this?” Haachama turned to Ryan, a sadistic smile on her face. “An ingredient for Haachama cooking?”

“Haachama no!” Kiara gasped.

“Tenchou, it’s okay,” Ryan took a deep breath. He wanted to help, just like Edhas did. He held his hand out towards Haachama.

“Ryan, what are you doing?” Kiara narrowed her eyes, though concern did flash through her eyes.

Haachama, intrigued, held her hand out towards Ryan. Ryan then closed his eyes, calm grabbing on to Haachama’s hand. Ryan’s world then went white.

-

Ryan opened his eyes to see that he was in an eternal blackness. “So _that’s_ how it feels like entering someone’s mindscape,” he said to himself. He looked around, noticing a small cage in the distance. He walked over to the cage, seeing Akai Haato sitting alone, curled up in her cell.

“Haato?” Ryan asked, tilting his head.

“Who are you?” Haato looked up, her eyes red and puffy. “I’ve never seen anyone but Haachama come in here.”

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan introduced himself. “I’m someone from outside. I wanted to talk to you two.”

“Two? As in talking to Haachama and me?” Haato turned her head. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

“Haato,” Ryan sat down, leaning his back on the cell. “Tell me. Have you ever talked to Haachama?”

“No,” Haato turned her head away from Ryan. “Why would I do that?”

“That’s the problem,” Ryan said. “You aren’t being open-minded.”

“Why would I be open-minded to a freak like her?” Haato asked.

“Observe,” Ryan smirked as he saw a cyclone of fire in the distance. Haachama flew up from the cyclone, a trail of fire following her until she landed a few meters away from Ryan, flames dancing on her fingertips.

“What are you doing in Haachama’s mind?!” Hacchama demanded. “Why are you talking to Haato?!”

“I actually wanted to talk to both of you,” Ryan said, standing up. Flipping on his magic, he summoned a table and three chairs.

“Talk… to Hacchama?” Haachama tilted her head. “Why would you want to talk to Haachama? People like to run away from me.”

“Do you want people to run away from you?” Ryan asked.

“Of course!” Haachama said, a sadistic smile on her face. Ryan could tell she was lying though. The eyes are the gateway of the soul, after all. “Everyone is scared of Haachamachama!”

Ryan stood up abruptly, caused both Haachama and Haato to stiffen. He walked up to Haachama, looking at her. All three of them stood, Haato and Haachama tensing in anticipation as Ryan calmly looked at Haachama. Ryan raised his head, causing Haachama to flinch, closing her eyes. To her surprise, Ryan placed his hand on her head. “It’s okay to tell the truth, Haachama,” Haachama opened her eyes to see Ryan smiling warmly at her. “You’re safe here.”

“I…” Haachama paused. “I don’t want people to be scared of me… I wanted to make friends… I don’t like this…”

“That’s okay,” Ryan pulled the girl into a hug. “It’s okay to feel this. We can change things. I promise.”

-

When Ryan opened his eyes again, he was back in the KFP. Haatochama had her eyes closed, seemingly unconscious. Kiara was looking at Ryan with a concerned expression as he removed his hand from Haatochama.

“What the hell was that?” Kiara asked, equal parts confused and concerned.

“Uh…” Ryan rubbed the back of his head, looking at his clock. An entire hour had passed. “What the actual fuck.”

“Yeah, care explaining?” Kiara demanded, a tick appearing on her forehead. “Is Haachama okay?”

“She’s fine,” Ryan looked up to meet Kiara’s eyes. “She just needs to talk things out with Haato.”

“How do you even know about Haato?” Kiara tilted her head. “What did you even do?”

“You know, I actually knew someone like them,” Ryan gestured towards Haatochama. “They taught me that all they need is to sit down and talk about it, maybe kick each other a couple times… get shot in the head.”

“Get shot in the head?” Kiara said, her eyes widening in shock.

“He was…” Ryan hurriedly looked for a word to remedy the situation, “a unique situation. No one’s shooting them in the head. Don’t worry.”

Kiara opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Haatochama opened her eyes. “Ryan…?” She looked at Ryan, a bewildered expression on her face. “You’re not just a figment of my imagination?”

“As much as I wish that was, I’m real,” Ryan smiled.

“Haachama?” Kiara looked at Haatochama. “Are you okay?”

“Haachama let me use the body for a while,” The now determined Haato turned to Kiara. “I’m sorry, but my memory of the past few years is pretty blurry. Who are you?”

“Haato?!” Kiara almost leaped back. Before she could say anything else, the doors burst open.

“Hi friends!” Fubuki barreled through the door, dragging Mio behind her.

“Oharuuju!” Haato bounded over to Fubuki. “Fubuki! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! Who’s this?”

“Haato?!” Fubuki almost jumped in shock before tackling her friend into a hug. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Fubuki, but who is this?” She said, looking at Mio.

“Konbanmion! I’m Ookami Mio!” Mio introduced herself. “I’m Fubuki’s girlfriend!”

“You have a girlfriend?!” Haato, Ryan, and Kiara shouted in pure shock. Shirakami “The Friendzoning Fox” Fubuki had a girlfriend. The thought was just blasphemous. Paradoxal. Uncomprehendable. Unconceive- you get the point.

“Yep!” Fubuki pulled Mio close to her, smiling brightly.

“I’m really happy for you, Fubuki,” Ryan smiled.

“Thank you,” Fubuki smiled.

“So, how’s FBK going?” Haato asked. “Last I remembered, you were just starting it up, right?”

“About that,” Fubuki rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I think we need to catch you up on what’s been going on the past few years.”

-

“Wow, you’ve all gotten so famous!” Haato said, a bright expression on her face. “I wonder how YAGOO is doing right now.”

“Actually, it would be a good idea to talk to him now that you’re back,” Mio said.

“Yeah! Let’s go, Haato!” Fubuki said. “Everyone’ll be so happy you’re back!”

As Fubuki dragged Haato away, she turned to Ryan, a small smile on her face. “Thank you, Ryan.”

“No problem,” Ryan smiled as the doors closed behind Haato, Fubuki, and Mio.

-

**Day 020: Guns Blazing**

Ryan snapped awake to his alarm, looking at his clock. 4 am. “Why are you up so early?” Suisei was sipping on a cup of tea as she sat a few feet away from Ryan’s bed.

“No time to explain,” Ryan turned off his alarm, standing up. “I gotta go do something important. You in or you out?”

“Color me interested,” Suisei smirked as she stood up. “I’m in.”

-

Ryan’s phone started to ring as he briskly walked down the street with his hands shoved down his pockets, Suisei following not far behind. He took the phone out of his pocket and answered the call.

“Ryan, we got a situation on our hands,” Amelia said, her voice urgent.

“I’m heading there right now,” Ryan replied. “Do me a favor and bring a couple of pistols.”

“How do you even know-,” Amelia stopped herself. “You know what? I’m not even going to ask. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said before hanging up the phone.

“Why do you need guns?” Suisei asked as Ryan picked up his pace.

“You’ll soon find out,” Ryan’s expression darked as he rubbed his shoulder, almost as if he was remembering a wound that didn’t exist.

-

“Sup,” Amelia said as she examined a rifle, looking through the scope before directing her attention back to Ryan and Suisei. “How did you get Suisei here with you?”

“I don’t even know what we’re doing,” Suisei shook her head.

“Kiara and Calli went to raid the MILF base,” Amelia started. “Unfortunately, it went south. Kiara was kidnapped.”

“How did you even know about this?” Suisei asked Ryan, her eyes narrowing.

“I’ll tell you after this,” Ryan said. “Ya got those guns?”

“I always have guns,” Amelia summoned two pistols, handing them to Ryan.

“Ah, how I’ve missed this feeling,” Ryan said, familiarizing his grip with the guns.

“You know how to use those things?” Amelia asked. Ryan grimaced.

“All too well.”

-

YAGOO rubbed his temples as he thought about the situation. As far as he knew, it was only him and Calli raiding the MILF base. Usually, he was confident that just the two of them could destroy the base, but they had these new-fangled laser weapons, so he wanted to be safe.

“Need some help, old man?” YAGOO turned around to see Reporter behind him. Reporter wore his usual black sweatpants. He wore his mask, a white mask with a giant seven plastered on it.

“Reporter, I thought you died,” YAGOO said. “Thank you for your help back then, by the way. Without your sacrifice, we wouldn’t have been able to free Coco.”

“Yeah, I don’t really know why I’m here, but I’m here,” Reporter shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So, do you want help or not?”

YAGOO smirked. “Of course.”

-

Ryan pulled the trigger to the gun on his left hand, instantly dropping a MILF soldier. “You’re actually pretty good at that.”

“I try,” Ryan replied with a smirk as Suisei jumped over him, cleaving another soldier in half with her golden battle axe.

“It seems that this isn’t your first time on the battlefield,” Suisei said as Amelia shot two guards in the head with a silenced assault rifle.

“I guess not,” Ryan replied. “Anyways, shall we continue?”

-

Reporter sighed as he walked towards the front entrance of the MILF base. “Excuse me, but no unauthorized personnel are allowed to pass here,” the MILF guard replied. “Continue and you will be dealt with.”

“Oh, I know,” Reporter replied, putting on a pair of golden gauntlets before punching the guard in the jaw, causing it to explode upwards. “I just don’t care.”

Both YAGOO and Calli appeared behind Reporter. “Well said, Reporter,” Calli smirked.

“Let’s go,” YAGOO said before the three dashed forward.

-

“Damn, these new powers are great!” Ryan heard a man’s voice before the sound of Kiara screaming.

“Fuck this,” Ryan said, seething with rage. No matter how experienced or how many times he travelled through time, hearing Kiara’s screams of pain never failed to piss Ryan off. “I’m going down.”

“Ryan, wait!” Amelia called, but it was too late. Ryan jumped off the platform to notice that a dark energy was radiating off the man that held the gun pointed at Kiara. He aimed his guns, shooting him and the other soldiers one time each. All of the other soldiers fell, but the bullet went through the main soldier’s head, narrowly missing Kiara’s head.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” The soldier turned around to face Ryan as Suisei and Amelia landed behind him. The man’s eyes were black with white irises, not unlike Storm when he was possessed. “A hero has arrived.”

“Ryan!” Kiara shouted as her wounds started to heal, fire incasing the wound.

“What’s that dark energy…?” Amelia asked, talking a step back. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

“That’s void energy,” Ryan’s expression darkened as he threw his guns aside.

“Ryan, what are you doing?!” Amelia shouted, looking at him as if he were crazy.

“What needs to be done,” Ryan said as he turned on his magic.

-

Reporter weaved through the array of lasers as he dashed up to a MILF soldier, punching his head off. He then crossed his legs before spinning around, kicking several soldiers in the head as his foot burned with fire. He then threw a punch at thin air, the air before his fist igniting as a condensed spear of fire flew at a tank at blinding speed to a tank, blowing it up.

YAGOO held out his staff, a bolt of lightning stabbing through several soldiers. As a nearby soldier aimed a laser rifle at him, he suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbing the end of his staff. He swiftly pulled at the end, letting a thin blade unsheathe itself from the staff and behead the soldier. He then held out the wooden sheath of the staff and held it out. A red magic circle formed in front of YAGOO, dozens of fireballs flying out of the circle.

Calli pulled at the center of her scythe, letting it split in two. As she spun the bottom half in her hand, a blade appeared out of the top end, turning the stick into smaller scythe. She then dashed forward, swinging the scythes wildly, black slashes flying from her scythe, cutting through even more soldiers. As each soldier fell before her, their souls flew out of their bodies as black, ethereal skulls before they flew towards their once allies, flying through and instantly killing anyone they can.

“As fun as this is, I kind of wanted to speed things up,” As one of Calli’s slashes of darkness flew towards him, he grabbed it with his hand, crushing it. He then aimed his fist to the floor, black flames surrounding the fist as he punched the ground, creating a black shockwave, killing anyone in its radius, creating more souls to run around and kill people.

“Who gave you permission to steal my magic again?” Calli grumbled to herself before going back to killing people.

-

“You have magic?!” Kiara, Amelia, and even Suisei shouted in surprise.

“Sorry for hiding it from you,” Ryan said, looking genuinely guilty. He them summoned his two guns, letting the black one flip upwards as he pulled the trigger, letting dark energy form into a straight-bladed kris. “This is my fight alone. Please stay out of this.”

“Getting cocky now, are we?” The soldier smirked as blades made of darkness engulfed his hands. “You’ll be begging you friends for help soon anyways.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Ryan replied as he let his magic flare, shooting a blast of energy at the soldier before dashing towards him. The soldier slashed the blast in half before blocking a slash from Ryan. He then tried to slash at Ryan’s feet. Ryan jumped up, kicking the soldier in the face before aimed his gun at him, shooting him in the head. The blast went through the man’s head.

“What are you going to do when bullets _or_ magic work on me?” The soldier asked, his smirk going wider as he slashed at Ryan.

“Luckily, I know how to deal with people like you,” Ryan said as he rolled to the side, remembering how Edhas overloaded Storm with magic energy. He flipped his kris back into a gun, pointing the both of them at the soldier’s head.

“Checkmate,” Ryan said as he pumped as much magic as he could into his pistols and pulled the trigger. Black and white beams mixed and spiraled into each other, combining as it formed a giant laser, barreling through the soldier. Screams of pain could be heard for a few seconds. When the screams stopped, Ryan released the triggers, dispelling his guns as he flopped on his back.

“Well, that was something.”

-

“What the hell?!” Calli shouted as a giant laser swirling black and white flew out of the MILF base.

“No time to waste,” YAGOO said as he sheathed his blade, slamming his staff to the ground. Pillars rose from the earth, launching the three of them into the hole that the laser created.

“WHO DARE TOUCHED MY WI-,” Calli yelled as she landed, but stopped when she saw the scene before her. Ryan was laying on his back, clucking weakly as Amelia, Suisei, and Kiara looked at him, a terrified expression on their faces. “What the hell happened?”

“Ryan happened,” Amelia chuckled dryly, jutting a thumb at the man laying on the ground. “A guy with some weird energy was hurting Kiara so Ryan decided to somehow gain magic and disintegrate the poor sod.”

“Nice to see you back, aniki,” Reported said, walking over and looking down at Ryan.

“I thought you of all people would know he’s not here right now,” Ryan looked at Reporter.

“I guess you’re right,” Reporter shrugged.

“Anyways, your wedding is tomorrow right?” Ryan looked over at Amelia.

“Yeah…” Amelia said, still shaken up by the events that just transpired.

“Please don’t make the best man…” Ryan said before drifting off into unconsciousness.

-

“So, what are we going to do with this one?” Civia stirred into consciousness as she heard a voice. Pain seared through her body, but she was too tired to react. She forced her eyes opened to see a man talking to a humanoid figure outlined in black. It was as if a shadow took human form.

“Since you have me, you don’t need to use magical creatures to develop weapons anymore,” the void creature replied. “Dispose of her.”

“Yes sir,” The man then aimed a gun at Civia.

“No!” A familiar redhead jumped in between her and the gun as the man fired. The girl screamed in pain as she put a hand over her shoulder.

“Looks like someone came to your rescue,” the void creature rubbed his chin. “No matter. Kill them both.”

“Not on my watch!” Civia stained to move her eyes to the left as white and blue flames manifested, a pale man with a red jacket and black shorts leaped out with a machete. Faster than anyone could react, he chopped off Civia’s restraints, grabbing both her and the redhead, vanishing into white and blue flames.

-

“Where did Yogiri go?” Spade Echo asked, looking around.

“She said she had something important to do,” Rosalyn replied, shaking her head. “I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t budge on the matter.”

“I just hope she’s okay,” Dorris said, a worried expression on her face.

“She will be,” Artia said, a determined expression on his face. “We need her to be okay.”

They all then jumped back when white and blue flames in between the four girls, a pale man stepping through. He was holding both Civia and Yogiri over his shoulders, Civia having cuts and holes all over her body and Yogiri bleeding from her shoulder.

“What the hell?!” Rosalyn shouted, raising her magic levels.

“We don’t have time for this,” The pale man said, a scowl on this face. “Grab onto me. The faster we get the fuck out of this country, the better.”

All of them stiffened when leaving the country was mentioned. They have been looking for a way to escape for years. All of them instantly grabbed onto the pale man without a second thought. With a torrent of white and blue flames, they were gone.

-

**Day 021: Union**

“Ow,” As soon as Ryan woke up, the pain of his entire body being sore hit him like a truck.

“You’re finally awake,” Ryan turned his head to see Suisei, sharpening her axe.

“No, I wasn’t trying to cross the border,” Ryan replied as he sat up, wincing in pain. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“That you do,” Suisei said. “I decided not to hack you into pieces for lying to me and for potentially being a threat. Please don’t make me change my mind.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan said. “I’ll try to make it quick. We have a wedding to get to after all.”

-

“That’s…” Suisei looked at Ryan with an unreadable expression as she dispelled her axe.

“Yeah, this is kind of the third time I’ve been in this time,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “I think you can understand why I’m doing what I’m doing. Or at least I hope.”

“I’m sorry,” Suisei shook her head. She stood up giving Ryan a hug.

“S-Suisei…!” Ryan stiffened. Even after all this time and after all of the friends he made, he was still unfamiliar with intimacy. Frankly, he was scared of the concept.

“Jeez, just shut up and hug me back,” Suisei giggled softly. “I’m trying to comfort you here.”

“If you insist,” Ryan sighed, hugging her back. _Edhas would be having a field day if he were here._

-

Amelia heaved a sigh as she sat down on the bed, rubbing her temples. “Are you okay?” Gura asked, giving Amelia a concerned look.

“Yeah…” Amelia forced a smile as she met Gura’s eyes. “I’m just thinking about yesterday.”

“What did you do yesterday?” Gura sat down, leaning on her fiancée and wrapping an arm around her. “You said you had something important to do.”

“Kiara was kidnapped by MILF,” Amelia explained.

“What?!” Gura gasped in response. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Amelia smiled at Gura. “I know you’re stronger than me, but I wanted to do a covert operation.”

“What happened?” Gura looked hurt, but she understood why Amelia did what she did.

“I called up Ryan to tell him what happened,” Amelia started. “He said he was already on his way to the base. When I got there, Suisei was there as well.”

“How did he know? Isn’t he supposed to be human?” Gura asked, tilting her head.

“About that,” Amelia rubbed the back of her head. “When we found Kiara, she was being attacked by this weird guy with a dark energy… it makes me shudder just thinking about him.”

Gura pulled Amelia closer as he heard her breath shake. “I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“I know,” Amelia squeezed her hands together, steadying herself. “Apparently Ryan knew him… or at least knew what that energy was. Out of nowhere, a bunch of magical energy exerted from him and he killed the guy.”

“He has magic?!” Gura exclaimed. Magical beings always exert magic energy, even when they’re hiding their presence. The fact Ryan wasn’t exerting any magical energy should mean that he was one hundred percent human.

“Yeah,” Amelia said. “If I could compare him to someone, I would probably compare him to Ina.”

“He’s that strong?” Gura’s eyes widened in shock.

“Yeah,” Amelia sighed. “Well, let’s not worry about that right now. We have a wedding to get to, after all.”

-

Grimm was sitting on a couch in a wooden cottage, sipping on some coffee as he looked at blueprints for the first KFP in the Phoenix Dimension. “This actually looks pretty good,” he said to himself as he set the mug down. “I’m sure a lot of people would like this.”

He looked up as a white and blue flame appeared before him. Suddenly, Nux appeared with Dorris, Rosalyn, Spade Echo, and Artia as he carried Civia and Yogiri who were both heavily beaten. “Can you lend me a hand here?”

“Of course,” Grimm shot up, gently grabbing Civia, who was the more bloodied from the two. He laid her down on the couch and started to heal her wounds, orange flames burning over them.

“Where are we?” Rosalyn asked, looking at Nux. “Better yet, who are you?”

“Name’s Nux,” Nux introduced himself as he started to heal Yogiri, although he was going a slower than Grimm was. “This is a place where we can get Civia and Yogiri over here healed before I take you to Japan.”

“Not that we’re not thankful, but why are you helping us?” Nux turned as Dorris spoke.

“A friend of mine wanted me to save your asses,” Nux replied.

“Give her here,” Grimm gestured towards Yogiri as he was finished healing Civia’s wounds. Nux gently picked her up, handing her to Grimm.

“You can’t stay here long,” Grimm said. “At most you can stay here a few hours, but I can’t have non-phoenixes here for too long.”

“Thanks, Grimm,” Nux smirked before turning to the other girls. “Now kick your feet up. You mist have had a hard time the past couple of years.”

-

“Hey Ina,” Ryan said, walking up to Ina who was wearing a lavender dress. “Do you know where Tenchou is?”

“Kiara will actually be the one singing, so she’s preparing for that,” Ina said. “I guess you can say it’s going to be fire.”

“That’s a reach, even for you,” Ryan rubbed the back of his.

“Anyways, since when did you have magic?” Ina asked. Since Ryan already revealed he had magic to Suisei, Kiara, Amelia, Calli, and YAGOO, he reasoned that he didn’t need to hide it anymore.

“I’ll probably end up explaining tomorrow,” Ryan replied. “I already told Suisei since she was at my place this morning, but I don’t want to make Gura and Ame’s day about me, ya know?”

“Humu-humu,” Ina nodded. “Anyways, shall we find a seat.”

-

“Fancy seeing you here,” Suisei said as she sat next to Ryan.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan sighed, waving his hand dismissively as she sat down. “The wedding is about to start.”

As he said that, Kiara walked onto the stage off on the side, wearing what seemed to be an orange maid costume. She then started to sing a song called “Heart Challenger”. _Huh, maybe she really is an idol,_ Ryan thought to himself, but perished the thought as the mental image of her trying to drink Calli’s “milk” popped into his head. _Nevermind. That would never happen._

One by one, couples walked down the aisle. Fubuki and Mio, Noel and Flare, Moona and Iofi, Okayu and Korone, and Marine and Rushia walked down the aisle, taking their respective sides on the altar. Enma was the one to walk down with the rings and Uto was the flower girl.

Ryan’s smile widened as Gura and Amelia walked down the aisle together. Amelia opted for wearing a yellow dress instead of a suit and Gura wore the blue gown that she wore the first time around. Ryan’s eyes followed the couple as the stepped up. YAGOO then walked up from the side, walking towards the microphone on the altar. “Today we gather to wed two people that are very near and dear to all of our hearts. A tale through time between two people who have now found themselves here.”

Ryan turned to look at Suisei as the readings started. He thought about the past few weeks. Suisei had always been there for him. Well, physically at least. He wasn’t sure if she was there for him as a friend all the time, but she was there for him, nonetheless.

 _I can think about stuff like this later,_ Ryan thought to himself. He looked up to see Amelia and Gura facing each other, YAGOO in between them. _Looks like it’s time for the vows._

“Gura, I’ve known you ever since I got my magic,” Amelia started. “I met you while Jack was taking me through time, training me to become a competent mage. When I first saw you, I knew I didn’t want to leave. I was wounded and stranded on a rock and you came up from the sea and tended to my wounds. We spent a few months together, just chatting and hunting and living together. When Jack picked me up, I had a huge argument with him. One of my greatest regrets was leaving you without saying goodbye. When I saw you in the room when YAGOO introduced us to our gen mates, I couldn’t be happier. From there, it’s history. Honestly, I think I used up all my luck in seeing you again. I love you, Gura and I don’t ever want to take this back.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t lie if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I know I won’t regret this either,” Gura looked down, closing her eyes before opening them again to meet Amelia’s. “When I was a baby shark, I was just swimming along when I saw a human beaten and starving. It was the first human I’ve ever met. I admit that I first met you out of curiosity, but as I got to know you, I slowly started to fall in love. When you vanished, I was so lost without you. I spent a whole 4000 years searching for you. When YAGOO recruited me, you were the last person I thought I would find you. When I saw your face, I was so happy, I couldn’t think. Even if you weren’t the person who I thought you were, I was still happy. Words can’t describe how happy I am to be here right now. I love you, Ame.”

At that point, YAGOO motioned to Enma, who walked up to the two. “Heh, I never thought you two would grow a pair,” Enma smirked as she put the rings on each of their fingers. “I’m so proud of you two.”

“With the power invested in me as the CEO of an entertainment company, I pronounce you two wife and wife,” YAGOO said, his smile widening. “You may now kiss the bride.”

“Ame!” Gura tackled Amelia to the floor, planting her lips on her.

 _I guess I can enjoy this happy ending for now,_ Ryan thought to himself. _At least they can be happy._

-

“Alona~!” Ryan turned around to see Aki and Mel walking towards him. “Fubuki was talking about you, so we figured we would see what the big deal is.”

“I see,” Ryan smiled, offering his hand to shake. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“My name is Aki Rosenthal,” Aki introduced himself. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“Konkapu~!” Mel bounded over to Ryan, an excited expression on her face. “My name is Yozora Mel! It’s nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Ryan said, his smile only widening.

“Ryan!” Ryan turned to see Gura bounding over him, tackling him into a hug as Amelia walked up to him.

“Thanks for saving my wife,” Gura said.

“It’s no problem,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“You know, it’s a shame you don’t have a mom,” Amelia sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I would have loved to-,”

“Ame, you have a wife,” Ryan reminded her.

“Speaking of wives, you better run,” Amelia winked at Ryan.

“What do you mean wi-,” Ryan was cut off when he felt a malicious aura from behind him. He turned around to see Suisei looking at Ryan with a scary look on her face.

“Ryan, I believe we need to have a talk,” Suisei smiled.

“You know, I don’t know how this correlates with wives,” Ryan turned to Amelia.

“What was that?” Ryan stiffened when Suisei summoned her giant golden battle axe.

“Ah shit.”

-

“You know, the axe was unnecessary,” Ryan grumbled, healing a large cut on his arm as he walked home, Suisei following not far behind with a sweet smile on her face.

“I believe it was perfectly necessary,” Suisei said as Ryan opened the door to the building, Suisei walking through first.

“Whatever you say,” Ryan grumbled. As he opened the door, he saw the embers of a blue and white fading away as Nux stood there with Nux holding an unconscious Civia and Yogiri, Spade Echo, Artia, Dorris, and Rosalyn looking at him, slightly shocked.

“I can explain,” Nux said.

“Ryan, what’s this?” Suisei asked, a rusty axe to the back of his neck.

“Time and place, Nux,” Ryan grumbled.

“What?” Nux tried to shrug but failed because of the two people on his shoulders. “It’s not like a had a choice.”

“Waiting on you, Ryan~,” Suisei said, pushing the axe into his skin.

“Ah shit.”

-

**Day 022: Repentance**

“So that’s what’s going on,” Suisei rubbed her chin as she took her axe out of Ryan’s arm.

“You could have waited five minutes,” Ryan grumbled as he started to heal himself.

“Is this… normal…?” Rosalyn asked, slightly horrified.

“No/yes,” Ryan and Suisei said at the same time.

“What do you mean this is normal?” Ryan turned to Suisei.

“How many times have I cut you up these past few weeks?”

“Well…” Ryan shuffled uncomfortably. “That doesn’t change the fact that you shouldn’t-,”

“Well, look at the time!” Suisei said, looking at her phone. “We need to get all of you to YAGOO.”

“Really?!” Dorris perked up. “Thank you, Suisei!”

“No problem,” Suisei said. “Actually, I just got a new car just for this. It’s a really fancy white convertible.”

“White convertible, where have I heard this before?” Ryan wondered to himself. “Eh, if I’m not remembering it, it’s probably not that important. Let’s go.”

-

Kiara hummed to herself as unlocked the doors from the inside. She frowned as she remembered the events from two days ago. She didn’t know if she could see Ryan the same after he basically lied to her as long as he had known her. “Speaking of which, he’s running a little late today,” Kiara said, taking out her phone. “Maybe I should call hi- wait… what’s that noise?”

Kiara looked up when she heard the soft sound of a motor humming. She started to sweat as the sound got louder. “Holy shit!” Kiara jumped as a white convertible drove through the alley. She grabbed the gadget on her belt, extending her shield just in time for the car to crash through the windows. Fire wings sprouted from Kiara’s back, propelling her forward so she wouldn’t get sent flying back by the car.

“Okay, you are _never_ getting behind the wheel _again_ ,” Kiara hear Ryan’s voice as she looked up to see Ryan exiting the passenger’s seat. “You killed like… how many people?”

“Million kill!” Suisei cheered from the driver’s seat.

“Where am I…? What happened…?” A familiar voice came from the back of the car.

“Yogiri!” Kiara flinched as she heard the name of her friend. “You’re finally awake!”

“Yogiri?!” Kiara almost jumped out of her skin. “She’s here?!”

“Yeah, I’m here…” Yogiri sat up in the backseat, looking around. “Seriously, where am I?”

“Actually, we need to get you to YAGOO,” Suisei said, turning around to look at Yogiri. “Let me just kick this baby in reverse…”

“Wait no-,” Kiara swore she heard Artia’s voice being cut off by Suisei flooring it on reverse, the car speeding out of the destroyed building and into the depths of the alley.

“So that just happened,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head. “Here, I got this.”

Ryan raised his hand towards the mess and concentrated. The shattered bits of glass and brick started to rise, floating over to their original spots before mending itself. He then turned to Kiara. “I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?”

“Yeah, considering you lied to me ever since we met,” Kiara said. “Are you even the Little Egg I’ve gotten to know? I don’t even think I could trust you if you hid such a big thing like that.”

“Ouch,” Kiara flinched as she heard Ryan’s voice cracked. His lips twitched, as if he was using every fiber of his being to keep up the small smile he had on his face. And his eyes… Kiara looked away momentarily but forced herself to look into them. If she was going to say something like that, she should look Ryan in the eye, no matter how hurt he looked or how guilty she felt. “I know it’s not your fault, but it still kind of hurts, you know?”

“Ryan…?” Kiara honestly didn’t know what to expect but considering the fact that Ryan had basically been lying to her ever since he met her, she didn’t expect such a genuine reaction.

“I’m fine,” Tears were flowing freely from Ryan’s eyes, no matter how many times he wiped his eyes, the tears wouldn’t stop. “It’s just… you’re my Mama Birb… and hearing you say that is really painful, even if I honestly deserve it.”

When the words “Mama Birb” reached Kiara’s ears, she stiffened, her motherly instinct instantly kicking in. She took a step forward, tentatively inching towards Ryan. Ryan stood still, as if still processing what just happened as Kiara slowly walked up to him, looking into his eyes. Kiara tilted her head as she was just a few inches away from Ryan, trying to understand how he felt. After a few seconds of silence, Kiara pulled Ryan into a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Ryan buried his head into Kiara’s shoulders, trying and failing to hold back his sobs. “I’m sorry.”

-

“I-I’m okay now,” Ryan pulled away from Kiara’s embrace, his eyes red and puffy as he sniffled. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this. I never really wanted to show you this side of me.”

“It’s okay,” Kiara looked at Ryan with a conflicted expression. “I still want to know what’s up with you.”

“I know,” Ryan heaved a sigh, sitting down. “Can you sit down? This is quite the story.”

“O-okay,” Kiara sighed, taking a seat next to Ryan. Judging by his expression, Kiara could only guess that it was a hard story for him to tell.

“Well, let me start from the beginning,” Ryan said looking at his hands. “Twelve days ago, I was nothing but a normal person working for a KFP under you. I met a lot of people and made a lot of friends. Those two weeks were the happiest two weeks of my life. No magic, no danger, no nothing.”

Kiara looked at Ryan, her confusion peaking. “Then six days from now, you decided to celebrate two weeks since the grand opening, but instead of celebrating for KFP, you decided to host the party for me, celebrating me being employed for two weeks,” Kiara flinched. Before the whole MILF thing, she had just started planning a celebration for Ryan. How did he know about that? Even more so, how did he know the exact day that it was going to happen? “You know, that was one of the best days of my life. Well, that until I got shot in the head.”

Kiara froze. “Y-you were what?”

“Actually, I think Ame needs to hear this too,” Ryan sighed, taking out his phone.

“Why does Ame need to know this as well?” Kiara asked. She didn’t have any problem with Ame hearing the story, but she was just curious.

“You’ll find out soon,” Ryan said. At that moment, the doors opened, Amelia walking in.

“You’re finally going to tell me the full story now, huh?” Amelia asked, sitting down next to Ryan.

“Yeah, I was in the middle of telling Tenchou,” Ryan said, looking at Amelia with conflicted eyes. Before looking at the counter. “Anyways, me getting shot in the head.”

“Yeah, I know that part,” Amelia said. Kiara’s attention snapped to Amelia as soon as she said that.

“You know Ryan was shot in the head?!” Kiara exclaimed, more shocked than angry.

“Well, that was the first time I was shot in the head,” Ryan cut in, causing both of them to freeze. “I was thrown back in time to my first day. Things went down a lot differently than they did this time. Technically, I got my magic two days ago.”

“This isn’t your first time going back?” Amelia asked, her face paling as she remembered her boss.

“Jack already knows,” Ryan said.

“Wait,” Kiara held her hands up. “Who’s Jack?”

“The person who created the ability to travel through time,” Ryan explained. “Anyways, six days from now, we entered a war with MILF. That’s when I got shot in the head a second time.”

Both Kiara and Amelia shuddered as Ryan talked about something that should be fatal so casually. “That’s when I met him. My other half. Edhas. The Fifth Mask. We had our differences, but we sorted them out, winning the war.”

Kiara and Amelia leaned in, morbidly interested. “After that, I spent a while enjoying my life. Tenchou got married to Calli, Korone got married to Okayu, and everything was going fine. Tenchou even tried to hook me up with a girlfriend,” Ryan chuckled to himself. Kiara smiled. That _did_ sound like something she would do. “Well, and then the void came. An acquaintance of mine got possessed by the void. Kind of like the soldier that I fought a couple days ago. We won, but Edhas… he…”

Ryan wiped his eyes, but a single tear escaped, falling onto the counter. Ryan then turned to Amelia. “That’s when you gave me this,” Ryan sighed, showing Amelia his watch. “Then I travelled back in time again. To save Edhas.”

“What happened then?” Kiara asked, causing Ryan and Amelia to direct their attention to the phoenix.

“I think I can explain this one,” Amelia said. “I knew Ryan for about two weeks as he worked here. He was quite mysterious, but he was a good person. He did a lot of things for us. He even found a way to have Aloe see HoloFive for a day. Then six days from now… he got shot in the head again, pushing you to the side so you wouldn’t get hurt.”

“Y-you took a bullet in the head for me…?” Kiara asked, looking at Ryan with a shot expression. “You know I could come back to life, right?”

“Yeah, but the thought of you being hurt was too much for me,” Ryan said. “If I had to do it again, which I have, I would take the bullet again. I would do anything for you, Tenchou. You’re my Mama Birb, and I’m you’re Little Egg.”

“Ryan…” Kiara pulled Ryan into a hug, giving him a noogie. “You idiot! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?!”

“I didn’t want any of you to feel obligated to become my friend,” Ryan said, burying his face into her shoulder. “I wanted you to become my friend from your own free will.”

“I guess I taught you well, huh?” Kiara said, stroking Ryan’s hair. “I’m really happy you told me, though. Your Mama Birb will always be here for you.”

“Ryan…” Kiara stiffened as Calli appeared, black mist enveloping the entire floor. If looks can kill, Calli would personally be escorting Ryan to the afterlife. “What are you doing…?”

“Oh, if Kiara is my Mama Birb, I guess you’re my dad, huh?” Ryan looked towards Calli, giving her a wide smile despite his puffy eyes. “Come join the family hug.”

“D-dad?! Where did you get that idea?!” Calli exclaimed, her face beet red.

“Just get over here,” Ryan used magic to pull Calli over, forcing her into the hug.

“You know what?” Calli smiled, embracing Ryan and Kiara. “This isn’t too bad.”

-

“I’m home,” Ryan sighed as he opened the door, walking into his apartment.

“Welcome ba-,” Suisei popped her head from the door to his room but stopped herself when she saw Ryan’s red and puffy eyes. “What happened?”

“N-nothi-,”

“Who do I need to kill?” Suisei’s expression darkened as she summoned her battle axe.

“N-no one!” Ryan held his hands up, looking distressed. “I… I told Tenchou the truth today.”

“Oh, I see,” Suisei said, dismissing her axe as she walked up to Ryan. “I guess it was hard, huh?”

“Yeah, it was,” Ryan said, looking down. Suisei then pulled him to a hug, Ryan flinching in response.

“C’mon Ryan, it’s just a hug,” Suisei giggled. “Are you that afraid of intimacy?”

“Yeah,” Ryan said, awkwardly hugging back. “It does, but I think I can make an exception. Just for you.”

“Of course,” Suisei said, smiling. “That’s what friends are for, after all.”

-

**Day 023: Black and White**

“Awoo~!” Lumi cheered as she skipped along the forest, finding her way back to her cabin. She had been looking for people to talk to, but the forest was pretty empty. That Miko person at the top of the mountain was very nice to talk to, but Lumi wanted more friends to talk to. She opened the door to her wooden cabin, a wide smile on her face. “What should I eat today?”

She walked over to her fridge, opening it. There was nothing there. “Aw darn, I guess I have to go hunting,” she said to herself as she closed the fridge door. She was about to turn around but stopped herself when she saw a particular orange pamphlet attached to the fridge. She detached the pamphlet from the magnet on her fridge and read it. “Where did I get this?”

She read it a couple times. “It says I can meet people there?! Maybe I should invite Merry!” She bolted over to her phone, dialing her cousin’s phone number. “Awoo~!”

-

Merryweather sat down on the bed in his quarters. As a commander of the Navy, he had his own quarters, so he had time to let himself breathe. He took off his hat, letting his dog ears flop down on his head. At that time, he heard his phone ring on his nightstand. He heaved a sigh, standing up and walking over to the nightstand, picking up the phone. He looked at it to see a picture of him and his cousin, Lumi posing together. He smiled softly as he answered the call.

“Hello?” Merry asked, putting the phone to his ear.

“Hello!” Lumi cheered in her normal, cheerful voice. “I found this really fun place we can go to and meet new friends! Awoo~!”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Lumi?” Merry asked, heaving a sigh. “With tensions this high, I’m not sure it would be a good idea.”

“It seems that the pamphlet I got was actually targeted towards demons,” Lumi replied. “I’m sure it would be really fun!”

“If you say so,” Merry said. “I’ll meet up with you in a couple hours. You’re still in Japan, right?”

“Yup!” Lumi chirped. “I’ll see you soon! Awoo~!”

Merry smiled as the line went dead. “I guess some things never change.”

-

“Agh, my back,” Ryan said as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Morning Sui-,”

“Shhh!” Suisei shushed him, cutting off. Ryan looked around bleary-eyed to see Suisei mashing on a controller, looking at a TV she apparently installed while Ryan was asleep. She was playing Tetris 99, of course, and it seemed that she was competing with someone for first place. “I’m trying to focus!”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan sighed as he got out of bed, followed by the TV making a bunch of noises.

“Ah, I lost!” Suisei looked at the TV. “What?! That was YAGOO?! Matsuri damn it not again!”

“It seems that YAGOO is a pretty good gamer,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “Well, I need to go to work.”

“Yeah, yeah, shoo,” Suisei waved her hand dismissively as she started another game. “I have a stream in 30 minutes and I don’t want you to be here when it starts.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan heaved a sigh as he opened the door to his apartment, walking out.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he opened the doors to the KFP.

“Hey Ryan,” Kiara said, a bright smile on her face. “Are you feeling better?”

“Getting all of that off my chest yesterday felt really good,” Ryan replied. With a snap of his fingers, he was instantly in his KFP uniform. “God, it feels good to do that again.”

“I bet it does,” Kiara put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder as he walked around to the other side of the counter. “I’m proud of you, my Little Egg.”

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan said with a smile. At that time, the doors opened.

“Awoo~!” Lumi cheered as she barreled through the door. “Is this KFP?”

“Yes, it is,” Ryan said. “Welcome to KFP. My name is Ryan Shade.”

“I’m Takanashi Kiara and I’m the manager!” Kiara introduced herself, excited to see someone new. “What would you like to order?”

“Nothing for now,” Lumi said as she sat down at the counter. “I’m waiting for my cousin to join me.”

“Oh, someone else I coming as well?” Kiara asked. “That’s great!”

“Yep!” Lumi said, smiling. “Awoo~!”

 _-100 hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan clenched his chest as the cuteness seeped into his body.

“Are you okay?” Kiara asked, looking at Ryan, concerned.

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “I’ve been dealing with this ever since I started working here, I don’t really know what it is.”

“Maybe I’ll get Choco-sensei to check you out someday,” Kiara said.

“Please don’t word it like that,” Ryan shuddered, remembering the time Choco came to “Get Ryan a Girlfriend Day”. “It brings some… unsavory memories.”

“I don’t see why Choco-sensei hitting on you would be a bad thing, but okay,” Kiara shrugged as the door opened.

“Is this KFP?” A man with dog ears and black hair walked into the restaurant. He wore a military uniform with a lot of medals pinned on it. He wore an oversized, puffy jacket over the outfit and a red tie. He had a black and red hat, his dog ears sticking out on either side. He then focused his attention towards the wolf girl sitting at the counter. “Lumi!”

“Merry!” Lumi jumped up, tackling the dog boy into a hug. “It’s been so long! How are you?!”

“I’ve been alright,” The dog boy, seemingly named Merry replied, putting a hand on Lumi’s head. “Let’s sit down, shall we?”

“Sure! Awoo~!” Lumi smiled brightly as she pulled Lumi over to the counter. “This is my cousin Merry!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Merry,” Ryan extended his hand to shake. “My name is Ryan Shade.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Merry said before turning to Kiara. “You must be Takanashi Kiara. I wonder why a CEO is working at such a small joint.”

“Well, I wanted to make this place a sanctuary for magical beings,” Kiara said with a smile. “What would you like to order, Merry?”

“Do you have treats?” Merry tilted his head, obviously excited.

“Of course!” Kiara said. She then turned to Lumi. “What would you like?”

“Can I order some head pats?” Lumi asked, her tail wagging excitedly.

“Ryan, I’ll go get the treats. Can you do the pats?” Kiara asked.

“I would love to,” Ryan said as Kiara walked to the back room. “Alright, Lumi. Here you go.”

Ryan smiled as he put his hand on Lumi’s head, rubbing it gently. Lumi smiled as she closed her eyes, her tail wagging even more.

 _-999 hp! Super Effective!_ Ryan clenched his chest in pain.

“Can I pave pats too?” Merry asked, taking off his hat.

“Of course,” Ryan smiled softly as he placed his free hand over Merry’s head. Merry closed his eyes, his ears twitching as his tail started to sway from side to side.

“I’m back!” Kiara smiled as she walked over to Merry, who seemed to be enjoying the headpats. “Say A~”

“Ah,” Merry opened his mouth, his eyes still closed as Kiara fed him the treat. “This is really good!”

“Hey Tenchou,” Ryan tuned his head to face Kiara.

“What’s up, my Little Egg?” Kiara tilted her head.

“I take back everything I said yesterday,” Ryan turned to look at Lumi and Merry. “This is the best day of my life.”

-

“I’m back,” Ryan said as he opened the door to his apartment.

“Hey Ryan,” Ryan heard Suisei’s voice come from his room. “You might want to see this.”

“What’s up?” Ryan asked, his hands in his pockets as he walked through the door to see Suisei looking at the TV screen. Ryan saw that she had since moved her streaming PC into Ryan’s room, but paid it no mind.

“Look,” Suisei pointed at the TV. Ryan sat down next to her, interested in what she wanted to show him.

“As you can see from this overhead footage, roughly a quarter of China has been covered by this darkness,” The news reporter said. “Some are suspecting that this is a power outage, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. No matter how many lights we shine into the darkness, it is impossible to see our way through. We have sent in a team to report, but we have been unable to contact them since they entered the darkness. It seems to be rapidly spreading throughout the country. More at 8.”

“Do you know what it is?” Suisei asked.

“Yeah, it’s the void,” Ryan’s expression darkened. “It looks like war is coming. We have to prepare.”

-

Shade heaved a sigh as he looked at the TV. “Looks like shit’s hitting the fan, huh?”

“What do you say we do, Shade?” Sabrina asked as she walked into the room, her mask on.

“Looks like this is the biggest threat that’s entered this dimension since the evil gods that resided in heaven three years ago,” Shade said, standing up. “I guess we’re going to have to pull the Masked Mages from retirement.”

-

Grimm looking around him with a satisfied smile on his face. The Phoenix Dimension’s development was going very well. Although there weren’t a lot of buildings, he liked it that way. He liked that lush plains, flowers blooming throughout the terrain as small hills and valleys were scattered across the plains.

“It seems that you’re doing well,” Grimm turned around to see Shade closing a portal behind him. Shade was a bit taller than 2 meters. He was lean and muscular, but his muscles were being covered by his baggy orange shirt and cargo pants. His hair was short, messy and blond. His left eye was covered by an eyepatch, but his right eye was a deep ocean blue. “I haven’t seen you in a while, Grimm.”

“Hey big bro,” Grimm said as he tuned towards Shade. “Would it kill you to visit every once in a while?”

“You know how much I don’t like to leave the overworld,” Shade said, shaking his head. “I’m happy to see you’re in good shape, though.”

“Yeah, surprisingly, Nux was the one to put me on the right path,” Grimm chuckled. “He’s been a lot more involved lately.”

“That’s good, because I might need his help,” Shade heaved a sigh. “It seems the void has come to the overworld. I’m trying to put together the Masked Mages again. Are you in?”

“You know, Nux was here not to long ago asking me to help him out with the void,” Grimm said. “I’ll be there for the fight. Don’t you worry.”

“Interesting,” Shade rubbed his chin. “I’m going to host a meeting in a couple of days for the Masked Mages. Please be there.”

“Will do, bro,” Grimm said.

“Thank you,” Shade said, turning around. With a wave of his hand, a portal opened up. Without another word, Shade stepped through, closing the portal behind him.

-

“Are you sure you want another shot?” Roberu asked.

“Yeah,” Jack grumbled. Jack’s short hair was messy, as if he hasn’t brushed it in years. His right eye was brown, but his left eye was covered with an eyepatch. He wore a blue trench coat and a checkered shirt underneath, topping off his outfit with dark brown cargo pants. “It’s not my fault that your alcohol is weak as hell.”

“Whatever you say,” Roberu sighed, pouring Jack another shot of liquor, sliding it over.

“Thanks man,” Jack said as he downed the shot in one go.

“I should have known that you would be here,” Jack didn’t even turn when he heard Shade’s voice.

“What the hell do you want?” Jack asked. “I thought I could just retire in peace now that the evil gods are dead.”

“We both know what’s going on right now,” Shade said, sitting next to Jack as he looked at Roberu. “I’ll take some cola.”

“One cola, coming right up!” Roberu said, spinning around to prepare Shade’s drink.

“I guess I don’t really have a choice,” Jack rubbed his temples.

“Here’s your order,” Roberu said cheerfully, placing a glass of cola before Shade.

“The meeting’s in a couple of days,” Shade said. “Meet me at KFP.”

Jack only grunted in response. “I guess I’ll take my leave now,” Shade said. “Oh, and Roberu?”

“Yes?” Roberu perked up.

“Congratulations on winning,” Shade said, smirking as he vanished with the glass.

“I’m not going to get that glass back, am I?”

-

“I really enjoyed our date today,” Ollie said, a huge smile on her face as she held Brianna’s hand.

“Yeah, me too,” Brianna smiled at her partner. “I never thought I would enjoy an arcade as much as I did. My brother was a bit of a gamer, but I never saw the appeal of it.”

“You were surprisingly good at the rhythm games!” Ollie exclaimed as they found their way to Brianna’s house. Brianna got the keys from her pocket, unlocking the door.

“I was actually in a marching band before I died,” Brianna said, nostalgia flooding through her eyes as she sat down on the couch next to Ollie. “I wonder if I can go back to the living world one day.”

At that moment, the two heard a knock on the door. “I got it,” Brianna said, standing up and making her way to the door. She opened the door, flinching slightly when she saw Shade.

“It’s nice to see you, Brianna,” Shade said, a small smile on his face.

“If you’re here, then I guess something bad is happening,” Brianna said.

“As much as I want to let you exist in the underworld happily, there’s a threat that can potentially seep its way in here,” Shade said. “I really need your help.”

“I guess I have something to fight for now,” Brianna said, looking back into the house for a second before looking at Shade. “I guess I’m in.”

“I’ll come pick you up for the meeting in a couple days,” Shade said.

“Thanks,” Brianna said before closing the door.

“Bri?” Ollie asked as Brianna flopped on the couch next to her, snuggling into the zombie idol. “Who was that?”

“My foster dad,” Brianna replied, burying her face into Ollie’s shoulder. “It looks like I have a job to do.”

-

Shade appeared atop a building to see a man with a black hoodie and black pants on, his back facing Shade.

“I’m in,” Reporter said as he looked at the city lights in the distance. “It’s not like I have a choice.”

“Thank you, Reporter,” Shade said, closing his eyes. With a flash of orange light, he was gone.

“Ugh, I guess I have responsibilities again,” Reporter ran his fingers through the hair under his hood. “What a drag.”

-

Shade’s last destination was the graveyard of the Masked Mages. He stood before a figure whose back was faced towards him. “I’m not the person you’re looking for,” The figure said, not caring to turn around to confront Shade.

“I know,” Shade replied, “but I decided that you deserve a spot amongst us.”

“I guess that’s fair enough,” The figure chuckled. “I already know what you’re up to. You know YAGOO is going to join us, right?”

“All the better,” Shade said. “The more help we can get, the better.”

“I guess you’re right,” The figure said. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple days.”

Shade smirked. “Thank you, Ryan Shade.”

-

**Day 024: Moths to a Flame**

Juniper was in her small form, flying throughout the city. “Damn, there’s nothing interesting to do,” she said to herself as she weaved her way through people and cars, trying her best not to get squished. She then flew a bit too close to a car, causing her to veer off to the side into an alley.

“Stupid fucking cars…” Juniper grumbled to herself as she flew down the alley. She then spiraled downwards as she crossed the barrier.

“Fuck!” Juniper said as she flopped on the floor. “I didn’t know there was a barrier here… I should stay in my small form for now in case anyone else is here.”

She started to flap her wings as she ascended from the ground. “I guess I’ll continue forward,” She said as she continued down the alley. As she crossed the threshold, she saw a KFP in the middle of an open area.

“What’s a KFP doing here?” Juniper was hesitant, but as a moth, the lights drew her in. “Whatever. Let’s see why a KFP is open at 1 am.”

-

Kiara was humming to herself as she arranged everything. YAGOO had told her that KFP would be the meeting spot of a lot of groups to prepare for the upcoming war against MILF. “I’m really excited for this,” Kiara said to herself as she wiped down the counter. As she finished, she heard a small thud from the door. As she turned, she saw a small bug. As she approached the door, she heard a faint sound of muttering. Curious, Kiara opened the door.

“Stupid fucking glass I swear to-,” The moth stopped talking to give Kiara a blank stare. “Uh… hi…?”

“Do you need something?” Kiara tilted her head towards the small moth.

“Are you open?” The moth asked.

“No, but since you’re here, I might as well open up,” Kiara replied. “Give me a second. I need to call my employee.”

-

“Where did you go?” Suisei asked as Ryan opened the door to his apartment. “I was kind of worried when I came back and you weren’t here.”

“I had to talk to someone,” Ryan replied, rubbing the back of his head. “Just some preparations for the war, you know. Some contacts of mine are preparing to fight at our side.”

“That’s good,” Suisei said. “Now you need to get some rest. You have work tomorrow.”

“I guess you’re ri-,” Ryan was cut off when his phone started to ring. He curiously picked it from his pocket. “Oh great.”

“What?” Suisei tilted her head. “What’s going on?”

“Overtime,” Ryan grumbled as he answered the phone. “Hey Tenchou. What’s u-,”

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara shouted through the phone. Suisei flinched at the sheer volume, but Ryan just stayed still, a blank expression on his face.

“What’s up Tenchou?” Ryan asked.

“We have a customer! Get your ass over here!” Kiara shouted.

“Hai, hai,” Ryan heaved a sigh. “I’ll be there.”

“I guess you have to go,” Suisei said as Ryan hung up the phone.

“I’ll see you later I guess,” Ryan sighed as he turned around, leaving his apartment.

-

“So why are you forcing an employee to work at this time?” Ryan head a voice as he opened the door.

“Oh, it’s because he’s my Little Egg!” Kiara replied, looking at the counter. “He would do anything I ask!”

“Yeah, I guess I would,” Ryan said, catching Kiara’s attention. “Where’s the customer?”

“Right here,” Ryan notice a speck fall from the counter. With a flash of light, it grew into a humanoid moth creature with four arms, long, white hair, and black eyes with yellow irises. “My name is Juniper Actias. Nice to meet you.”

“Ryan Shade,” Ryan rubbed the back of his head as his clothes shimmered into his KFP uniform. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Interesting,” Juniper smiled as Ryan walked behind the counter. “I don’t think I’ve met someone stronger than me until I met you two.”

“Huh, I guess I’ve been progressing,” Ryan said, looking at his hands. “That’s good I guess, considering we’re going to be fighting in a war soon.”

“Oh, a war?” Juniper put a finger on her chin. “Do tell.”

“Are you sure we should be telling just a random customer about this?” Kiara asked. “I didn’t even know you were going to be fighting in the war.”

“Of course, I will be fighting in the war. Plus, the more help we have, the better,” Ryan said before turning his attention to Juniper. “The whole incident in China is being caused by a certain… entity. We’re going to be fighting a war against it to hopefully eradicate it from existence.”

“Huh, I was wondering what that was about,” Juniper said. “That sounds fun. Maybe I’ll join in. Sure as hell beats doing nothing.”

“See? What’s the worst that can happen?” Ryan asked.

“A lot can happen,” Kiara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Anyways, what would you like to order?” Ryan asked.

“Uhh, I dunno, I’ll just have fried chicken or something,” Juniper shrugged her four arms. “No spices please.”

“One Birb Mild Wings, coming right up!” Kiara said, darting over to the back room. Ryan sighed. At this point, it was practically a race to the back room to see who would cook that day, as neither of them wanted the other person to do too much work.

“You know, this place is pretty neat,” Ryan turned back to Juniper as he heard her speak.

“Yeah, working here has been pretty nice,” Ryan replied, rubbing the back of his head. “The people that come here are usually really nice. Chaotic, but nice.”

“I see,” Juniper nodded, a satisfied expression on her face. “That’s good. I might come here more often then.”

“That’s good!” Kiara darted out with a tub of fried chicken. “Here you go!”

“Thank you,” Juniper said. “I guess I won’t hold you up too long. I’ll take my leave now. Do I need to pay?”

“Nah, this one is on me!” Kiara smiled brightly.

“If that’s all, can I go back to bed?” Ryan grumbled.

“Sure,” Kiara said.

“Thank god,” Ryan sighed. “I’ll see you.”

With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

-

Ryan woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. “Do I have to?” He grumbled to himself as he rolled over, grabbing his phone.

“Work is work,” Suisei said. “Sorry guys, that’s just my roommate waking up.”

“I don’t want to hear that from a streamer,” Ryan muttered under his breath as he picked up his phone.

“I assume you want me to come to work?” Ryan asked.

“KIKKERIKIII~!!!” Kiara shouted through the phone. “Yep! Did you really expect to get the day off because you came in for an hour?”

“I guess not,” Ryan grumbled to himself. “Hold on, I’ll make my way there.”

-

“You know, a day off wouldn’t hurt,” Ryan grumbled as he opened the doors to the KFP.

“Nonsense! If I can do it, you can do it!” Kiara exclaimed as Ryan walked to the other side of the counter. “Now go get dressed!”

“Yes Tenchou,” Ryan said as his clothes started to shimmer for the second time that day.

“Do you know who’s coming today?” Ryan asked.

“Actually, Reine is coming today!” Kiara said. “Have you met her before?”

“Funny story…” Ryan rubbed the back of his head.

“Yeah, I can’t believe the fifth mask himself wrote a letter to get me out of there!” Ryan turned as he heard Reine’s voice to see her walking in with a fairly short girl with white hair that went down to the middle of her back and little wings jutting out of her head. “He’s a legend!”

“Yeah, yeah,” The girl waved her hand dismissively. “Doubt he’s all that strong though. I could probably kick his ass in a fight.”

“I’m happy you got my letter, Reine,” Ryan said, causing Reine and the unnamed girl to stop.

“Wait, you’re the fifth mask?!” Reine gasped, pointing at Ryan.

“You’re a part of Masked Mages?!” Kiara shouted.

“I’m just an honorary member,” Ryan waved his hand dismissively. “I’m taking his place until he comes back, but I did use his name to get you out of there.”

“Thank you,” Reine bowed. “I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t me get out of there.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ryan said. “I know how much of a dick Peafowl can be.”

“So, you’re the one who brought my family back to me,” The girl walked up to the counter, smirking as she held out her hand. “Name’s Iida Pochi. Thanks for saving her for me.”

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan smiled as he shook her hand. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have cereal,” Reine said, sitting down.

“I’ll have the same,” Pochi said.

“Sure,” Ryan said, making his way to the back room.

“I’ll make it!” Kiara volunteered.

“Tenchou, you did the cooking earlier, so I’ll prepare the cereal,” Ryan said.

“Awh, fine,” Kiara sighed.

“Thanks, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he made his way into the back room.

“So, are you going to be going to China?” Ryan heard Kiara ask the two as he got the box of cereal from the back room.

“Yeah, wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Pochi said.

“Anya and Ollie are going to be there,” Reine said. “Apparently Ollie wants to bring her girlfriend. I don’t think that’s the best idea for a date, though.”

“I’m not sure Ollie is the best when it comes to planning dates anyways,” Ryan said, walking out of the back room with two bowls of cereal, placing it in front of the two customers. “Here’s your food.”

“Thank you,” Reine said, grabbing the spoon that Ryan handed. “You _did_ put the cereal first, right?”

“What do you take me for, a neanderthal?” Ryan asked, tilting his head.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t insult you like that,” Reine chuckled to herself as she took a bite. “You’re going to China, right?”

“Yeah, though I’m probably going to be representing the Masked Mages,” Ryan said. “Huh, I never thought I’d have to represent something in a war.”

“Now that you think of it, that is kind of weird,” Pochi rubbed her chin.

“Thank you for the food,” Reine said, placing the empty bowl down on the counter.

“This cereal is actually surprisingly good,” Pochi said, placing her own empty bowl on the counter. “What do you want to do now?”

“Do you want to play Minecraft together?” Reine tilted her head.

“Reine, how many times do we have to tell you that the amount of time you’re spending on Minecraft is not healthy,” Kiara said, bonking Reine on the head.

“Hey! I just… really like it, okay?!” Reine said defensively as she held the spot where Kiara had hit her.

“We’re going to war in a few days, so I think it’s okay to let Reine play Minecraft as long as she wants for now,” Pochi pointed out.

“That’s fair,” Kiara sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“I guess we can play Minecraft together if that’s what you want,” Pochi said, turning to Reine.

“Really?!” Reine perked up. “Let’s go!”

“Whatever you say,” Pochi smiled as she watched Reine dash off. “Before I go, I just want to say one thing.”

“What would that be?” Ryan asked as Pochi turned to him.

“Thanks for rescuing Reine. She told me about how things were back there. You really did her a favor,” Pochi said.

“It’s no problem,” Ryan said. “Anything to help out a friend.”

“Friend, huh?” Pochi put a finger on her chin. “You really are something special, huh? I’m glad you consider her a friend. Just keep her safe, okay?”

“I’ll do my best,” Ryan replied with a nod.

“That’s all I ask,” Pochi said before turning around, following Reine out of the restaurant.

“I guess you are a pretty good person,” Kiara smiled as she looked at the exit. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“It’s okay,” Ryan said. “It’s only natural, though. To help the ones who pulled me out of darkness.”

-

**Day 025: Going Nuclear**

“Hmm, Maybe I should go… but who should I go with?” Lily rubbed her chin as she looked at the KFP pamphlet. After pacing for a few seconds, she perked up, as if a lightbulb turned on in her head.

“Ah, I know!” She said to herself, a bright smile on her face. With a wave of her hand, a portal appeared in front of her, which she excitedly flew through.

-

Lily appeared in an undisclosed country about half a kilometer away from a nuclear power plant. As soon as the portal closed behind her, she flinched, forming a force field around her. Just as the barrier finished forming, the power plant detonated, creating a small mushroom cloud in the process. Lily threw her arms in front of her as the shockwave forced her back, making a crack in the force field. As the mushroom cloud subsided, Lily started to glide down, the force field being replaced by a small magic coating to protect her from radiation. As she placed her feet on the ground, a figure stepped out of the smoke.

“Morning Lily!” The figure revealed herself to be a girl with purple hair and yellow streaks, her ears covered by muffs with smiling faces on them. She wore a hazmat suit that was zipped down to her stomach, revealing a bra that was covered by her hair. Her thigh highs had caution tape on the top of them and her shoes have the biohazard symbol on it.

“It’s been a while, Vivi,” Lily said, a smile growing on her face, giving her good friend a hug.

“So, what brings you here?” Vivi asked, smirking as she put her hands on her sides.

“Well, I found this place for magical people, so I was wondering if you wanted to hang out,” Lily said, showing her the KFP pamphlet. “I don’t know how I got it, but it led me to this one guy. He’s really interesting and I want to mess with him a bit.”

“Oh, so you’ve finally found a guy~?” Vivi leaned forward, wiggling her eyebrows.

“N-no…! He’s just… I haven’t met someone whose emotions were as… complicated,” Lily defended herself. Despite being flustered, she was still soft spoken. “He seems to be content with life, but at the same time, he’s so… sad. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Relax, I’m just playin’ with ya!” Vivi exclaimed, slapping her friend on the back. “Anyways, I’m totally down! Where is this place?”

-

“Up! Wake up!” Ryan woke out to someone softly tapping his face.

“Hai, hai, I’m awa-,” Ryan opened his eyes to see Suisei on top of him. He immediately jolted awake, accidentally bumping foreheads with Suisei. “Ow! What the hell?!”

“Ouch! I was just waking you up!” Suisei sat on the bed, rubbing her forehead.

“Sorry about that. You just startled me,” Ryan heaved a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “I didn’t expect to wake me up like that. Actually, I didn’t expect you to wake me up at all.”

“What can I say? I like to spice things up,” Suisei said, offering Ryan a shrug.

“I’m heading to work,” Ryan grumbled as he got out of bed. As he opened the door to leave the room, he stopped to turn to Suisei, a smile on her face. “I appreciate the thought, though.”

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he opened the doors to the KFP. Even though he did this every day, he never felt that it was repetitive since this action would always lead to something different and new, no matter how many times he travelled through time.

“Good morning Ryan!” Kiara ran over from the back room, jumping up with excitement. “Did ya sleep well?!”

“I actually did,” Ryan said as he walked over to the other side of the counter, his clothes shimmering into his uniform as he did. “I’m feeling pretty rested, considering the overtime you made me do yesterday.”

“C’mon, it was fun!” Kiara slapped Ryan on the back.

“Whatever you say, Mama Birb,” Ryan said, rubbing Kiara’s head, being extra careful not to hit the two hats on her head. Ryan then turned as a red glow appeared from outside the KFP. As the glow subsided, he saw Lily standing there with an unfamiliar woman. The woman was about as tall as him with purple hair. She wore what Ryan assumed was a hazmat suit, but it was zipped down to her stomach, her bra covered by her hair.

“Welcome to KFP,” Ryan said as the two entered the restaurant. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Lily.”

“I’m sorry, but Suisei scares me,” Lily said, shuddering as she did.

“Wow, I never thought I would see the day that Lily is scared of something!” The woman laughed heartily, putting a hand on the fae’s shoulder. “Lily here is usually the scary one.”

“I could totally see that happening,” Ryan muttered to himself before raising his voice again, directing his attention towards the woman. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Just call me Vivi,” The woman said, pulling Lily over to the counter, plopping herself down on a seat. “Nice to meetcha too.”

“Now, what would you like to eat?” Ryan asked, tilting his head as he offered the two ladies a customer service smile.

“Do you cook dreams?” Lily asked. “I would prefer nightmares, but I would take any kind of dream nonetheless.”

“I think I can extract them from the souls in the back,” Kiara tilted her head, putting a finger on her chin as she ran the possibilities through her head. “I think that’s possible.”

“Hmmm, do you serve anything radioactive?” Vivi asked, tilting her head. “The more the better.”

“Does nuclear waste work?” Ryan asked, sifting through Edhas’s “mental gift package” to see if there was anything that could transport something radioactive without harming anyone.

“Ah, something spicy,” Vivi smirked, giving Ryan finger guns. “My favorite.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Ryan said, smiling before turning to Kiara. “I guess we’re both going to the back today.”

“Fine,” Kiara sighed, her shoulders slumping as she followed Ryan to the back. Ryan closed his eyes, his mind fixating on a particular spell to cast portals. His plan was to create a force field as soon as the waste appeared. He successfully managed to pull it off, grabbing a barrel of waste in a force field, trapping the radioactivity in it (AN: I have no idea if this is how radioactivity works and I won’t pretend I do). He walked out of the back room holding the barrel.

“Is this enough for you?” Ryan tilted his head as he spoke with an innocent tone.

“Perfect! Give ‘er here!” Vivi said. “Also, don’t worry about the force field! I absorb the radioactivity around me.”

“I’ll trust you,” Ryan said, plopping the barrel on the counter and cancelling the forcefield.

“Ah, thanks! I needed this!” Vivi stood up, green energy covering her right hand. A smug smirk grew on her face as she plunged her hand on the lid of the barrel before grabbing the entire thing, staring to chug it.

“I’m surprised you have magi-“

“Shit!” Lily was cut off by Kiara’s shout, followed by the sounds of glass crashing. Ryan spun around to see a soul flying out of the back room, Kiara scrambling after it before slipping on what Ryan would assume was a piece of glass. “Get back here!”

“I got it,” Ryan sighed as he opened his left hand, a white gun appearing in his hand. He aimed the gun at the soul, putting a miniscule amount of magic energy into it. He pulled the trigger, a small beam of light shooting from the gun. It seemingly was absorbed by the soul before the soul dissipated.

“I take back what I was going to say,” Lily said as Ryan turned around. “I’ve _very_ surprised you’ve become this adept with magic in such a short time.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Ryan said as Kiara stood up, walking over to his side.

“Sorry about that,” Kiara said as she placed a two liter glass bottle on the counter in front of Lily. The glass was full of a sort of deep purple mist floating about in the bottle. “I guess the soul didn’t like the extraction too much.”

“It’s fine,” Lily smiled softly as she cradled the bottle as she glowed with yellow light. As the soft glow subsided, the mist was gone. “My, what agony this soul is feeling. I wonder what you did to it.”

“Oh, I just put it in the usual room for a couple minutes,” Kiara said with a dangerously innocent smile on her face. Ryan shuddered. Yet another reason why he didn’t want to find out what was in the Usual Room.

“I see,” Lily said. “By the way, I heard from a few of my friends that Cover Corp is going to war with MILF in a couple days.”

“Yeah, the Masked Mages are going to be there too,” Kiara replied. “What about it?”

“Wait, you never told me about this,” Vivi said placing the barrel on the ground, a slightly shocked expression before her signature smirk became comfortable on her face. “I want in. It sounds fun.”

“I was about to say the same thing,” Lily said, her soft features moving into that of excitement. “I would love to get a little bit of exercise.”

“I don’t know what kind of person you need to be to consider an all-out war ‘exercise’, but any help you would like to offer would be appreciated,” Ryan said.

“Thank you,” Lily nodded as she stood up. “I shall be taking my leave now.”

“Same here,” Vivi said. “I wasn’t finished nuking up that place. I’ll see you in a couple days.”

“Yeah…” Ryan waved awkwardly as the two held hands, disappearing with a soft, yellow glow.

“Well,” Kiara rubbed the back of her head. “That was weird, even for me.”

“Agreed.”

-

“Bri!” Ollie jumped onto the bed where Brianna was laying, causing her to yelp as she landed on top of her. “Want to play APEX with me?!”

“Ow!” Brianna yelped as Ollie rolled over her, laying on the bed. “You really need to work on your APEX addiction. You keep waking me up in the middle of the night with your scre- streaming.”

“Aw, c’mon! It’s not _that_ bad!” Ollie whined. “Speaking of fun things, want to go on a date in three days? I have the best idea for a wonderful date.”

“Maybe, I need to check my-,” Brianna was cut off when she heard the knock on the door. “I got it.”

Brianna stood up to open the door to see Shade waiting for her. “Brianna, it’s time.”

“Yeah, yeah, let me just say goodbye to my girlfriend,” Brianna said, walking back to the bedroom.

“Who is it?” Ollie asked as she laid on the bed on her stomach, swinging her feet.

“I’m not sure I can go on that date, Ollie,” Brianna said, looking down. “I have a business trip I have to go to.”

“Business trip?” Ollie tilted her head, confused, rolling out of the bed and standing up. “I thought you retired when you died.”

“Something happened, so I’m being pulled out of retirement,” Brianna said,

“Must be some job if they’re taking you back after your death,” Ollie walked up to Brianna, holding her head in her hands. “It’s okay if you can’t be with me for a while. I’ll be here, waiting for you when you get back, okay?”

“Okay,” Brianna leaned in, kissing the zombie idol on the lips. “I’ll see you in a few days, okay?”

“Alright!” Ollie chirped. “I’ll have a wedding ring ready by then!”

“Whatever you say,” Brianna giggled before walking back out to meet Shade.

“I’m ready,” Brianna said.

“By the way, congrats on your girlfriend,” Shade said, putting a hand on Brianna’s shoulder as a soft smile spread across his face. “I’m happy for you.”

“Getting sentimental, huh old man?” Brianna chuckled, looking the man in the eye, a content smile on her face. “Now let’s go before I change my mind.”

“Yes ma’am,” Shade said. With a flash of orange light, the two of them were gone.

-

**Day 026: Preparations for War**

Brianna and Shade appeared atop a building, looking down at the bustling city lights. “Welcome back to the land of the living,” Shade said. He opened his hand and a mask appeared. A white mask with a giant black 6 in the middle. He looked at it momentarily before handing it to Brianna. “You’re going to need this.”

“Huh, I never thought I would wear this again,” Brianna said, taking the mask and looking at it. After a couple seconds of silence, she closed her eyes, putting on the mask.

“You know you’ll always be a part of us,” Shade said as he put on his own mask, one with a giant 1 in the middle. “If you ever need a family, we’re here.”

“As much as I appreciate the offer, this family is pretty dysfunctional,” Brianna said, chuckling.

“If Edhas were here, he would probably blame that on my lack of ‘dad jokes’,” Shade sighed, using air quotes for the last two words. “A part of me is wondering if I’m getting too old.”

“You already are, old man,” Brianna chuckled, slapping Shade on the back. “Now, tell me where this meeting place is.”

-

“You know, I’ve gotten pretty attached to this place,” Grimm said as blue and white flames flared to life behind him as Nux stepped through to the phoenix dimension. “Leaving feels so weird, even if it’s only for a few days.”

“Ryan wanted you to have this,” Nux said as Grimm turned to confront him. Nux had Grimm’s old mask, a white mask with a giant 2 in the middle of it. “It was in Edhas’s magical storage when he got here.”

“I guess he would keep it with him after I was gone,” Grimm chuckled, taking the mask and putting it on. “As much as he hated these masks, he put a lot of sentimental value behind it.”

“Yeah, yeah, now go to your dumbass meeting,” Nux said. “I want to bother you, but I don’t really want to go there.”

“Whatever you say,” Grimm said, black flames starting to consume his body. As the fire completely enveloped his being, it started to subside until it was gone.

“Looks like I have to do my part as well,” Nux said as blue and white flames started to envelop him in turn. “Jeez, Ryan’s really going to owe me after pulling this stunt. How troublesome.”

-

Ryan groaned as he woke up. He was excited for the meeting of the Masked Mages, but he was anxious at the same time. Even after all this time, he still didn’t feel up to their level. They were supposedly the best mages in the world. Little did he know, he had already reached their level. “Morning Ryan,” Suisei said with a tired voice as she mashed on a couple buttons on her keyboard.

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked, his voice littered with concern as he sat up.

“Yeah, just a little tired,” Suisei groaned as if she were a zombie.

“You should really get some rest,” Ryan said, placing a hand on her head, rubbing it a bit. Suisei groaned weakly in protest, but she was too tired to swat his hand off.

“Case and point,” Ryan said, booping her nose. “Go to bed. You’ve worked hard enough today.”

“Fine,” Suisei said as she stood up. “I’m sleeping in your bed.”

“Whatever,” Ryan said as he exited his apartment, smiling as he heard the sound of a person flopping on a bed.

-

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan sighed as he opened the door. “I have a feeling that some of my colleagues are going to show up today.”

“Colleagues?” Kiara tilted her head. “Do you mean the Masked Mages?”

“Yeah,” Ryan grumbled as he walked behind the counter.

“Hey Kusotori, why are there Oreos in here?” Ryan turned to see the break room door opening, Calli steeping out.

“Please don’t touch my Oreos,” Ryan glared at Calli, causing her to flinch.

“A-alright,” Calli looked around nervously. “I think I should take my leave.”

“Actually, I think you should stay,” Ryan said. “I think you would want to meet someone that’s coming here today.”

Calli turned to Kiara. “Do you know anything about this?”

“No, but I think we should trust Ryan,” Kiara said, remembering her conversation with Ryan. “He usually knows what’s happening.”

“Whatever you say,” Calli made her way to the stools, taking a seat. “I’ll just have some wine or whatever.”

“Sure,” Ryan grabbed a wine bottle and a wine glass from underneath the counter, pouring her a glass. Ryan then looked up as the door to open. The first to arrive was Sabrina, her brown hair flowing down as she wore a brown cloak over her standard pink hoodie and skinny jeans. She wore her mask, a white mask with a giant 4 in the middle of it.

“Morning Sabrina,” Ryan said, casing her to flinch. “You know, you could have called.”

“How do you know it’s me?” Sabrina asked, her muscles tensing. “Better yet, why do you have magic?”

“Shade didn’t tell you?” Ryan tilted his head. “I’m representing Edhas in his absence.”

“If he says so, then I guess it’s fine,” Sabrina said, taking a seat a couple seats away from Calli.

“It’s nice to see you again, Yo-chan,” Kiara smiled at Sabrina.

“Since the secret’s out, just call me Sabrina,” Sabrina waved her hand dismissively.

“I guess I’m early,” Reporter let out an exasperated sigh as he opened the door. He didn’t wear anything fancy, just his normal black hoodie and pants. “Hey Ryan, Sabby. Feel free to call me Reporter while I’m here.”

“I don’t know by any other name,” Ryan chuckled dryly.

“Well, I know _you_ don’t, but everyone else does,” Reporter said as he sat down beside Sabrina.

“You’re alive?” Sabrina asked, her voice sounding shocked.

“Shade’s been running across the dimensions dragging everyone back so they can come here,” Reporter said. “If you’re surprised by me, then you’re going to have to get used to a lot of things real quick.”

“Whatever you say,” Sabrina sighed as the doors opened again.

“Calliope?” Calli turned to see Grimm standing there, the doors wide open. Although he had his mask on, his hairstyle and his stature can be recognized anywhere. “Kiara?”

“Sensei…?” Both Kiara and Calli’s jaws dropped.

“Morning Grimm,” Ryan smirked, waving the tall man over. “Black coffee, I assume?”

“Huh, you even know how I like my coffee,” Grimm said, taking his seat next to Calli.

“Wait,” Calli held her hands up, directing everyone’s attention to her. “You’re alive?!”

“Well, technically,” Grimm said. “I prefer to spend my time into the phoenix dimension, but yes, I am alive. Speaking of the phoenix dimension, you should really stop by, Kiara. I think you’ll really like what I’ve done with the place.”

“O-okay…” Kiara said.

“I… I think I need a minute,” Calli said, standing up.

“Take as much time as you want, little reaper,” Grimm said. “I’ll stop by anytime you need me to.”

“T-thank you,” Calli said as she vanished in a tuft of black mist, obviously shaken.

“Ugh, you guys better have some good drinks,” Ryan smirked as Jack made his way through the doors, his mask on.

“Don’t worry, unlike Bar: ROBEL, we serve Dragonson Liquor,” Ryan said as Jack sat down next to Grimm.

“Thank god,” Jack said. “I was getting sick of that weak shit.”

“You really need to tone it down,” Ryan said as he found his way to the locked compartment, entering a particular mana signature to open the lock, pulling out the strong liquor. He poured Jack a shot, sliding it over to him. Jack downed the liquor, before gasping, as if he had been rejuvenated by the alcohol.

“Thanks, kid,” Jack said. “You know, at least you’re willing to pour me one, unlike Edhas.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan said as the doors opened again, revealing Shade and Brianna.

“Edhas…?” Brianna looked stunned to see him.

“That’s not him,” Shade said. “He’s… filling in for Edhas until he comes back.”

“I see…” Brianna looked down.

“Name’s Ryan Shade,” Ryan said. He felt bad for Brianna, but he didn’t know if he could do anything for her. “He’ll be coming back soon. I promise.”

“If you say so,” Brianna sighed, sitting down.

“I believe that’s everyone,” Shade said as he sat down.

“Actually, I invited a couple of guests,” Ryan smirked. Shade looked to him, about to say something crass, but stopped when black mist started to form in the floor.

“It’s been a while since I found myself in the living plane,” All of the Masked Mages stiffened as Storm’s voice filled the room.

“Storm?” Shade turned around to see the man, Nux standing behind him with his hands in his pockets.

“Don’t worry, I’m not with the void,” Storm said. “It has since lost interest in me after taking over MILF, so I shall fight by your side.”

“That’s good to know,” Shade said as Storm took the last free seat at the counter.

“So, we’re going to fight in the war, right?” Ryan asked. “I’m going to be going with or without you guys.”

“It’s good to know that you’re fighting for what is right,” Shade said, directing his attention towards Ryan. “As the Masked Mages, it’s our job to protect this dimension from harm.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Ryan chuckled.

“You don’t know what happened to us three years ago,” Reporter cut in. “The war on heaven was devastating, especially since there were only eight of us.”

“My bad,” Ryan put his hands up, feeling genuinely guilty. He didn’t know what this war on heaven was, but he had a feeling he would find out eventually when Edhas came back.

“Hold on,” Brianna said. “Why doesn’t Ryan know about the war in heaven?”

“It seems that we have a lot of catching up to do,” Ryan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just start from the beginning…”

-

“I’m surprised you actually remember the entire thing,” Ryan said, looking at Reporter.

“I know everything,” Reporter said, tapping his forehead.

“That’s… quite the tale,” Brianna said.

“Oh, congratulations on Ollie by the way,” Reporter nudged Brianna with his shoulder.

“T-thank you,” Although Brianna was wearing her mask, everyone knew she was blushing.

“Oh, none of you are crashing at my place,” Ryan said. “Last I checked, you all don’t have places here in Japan and Suisei would kill me if I brought people in without her permission.”

“I thought you were the sole owner of that apartment,” Kiara said.

“Do you really expect me to talk back to _Suisei_ of all people?” Ryan asked, shuddering as he turned to look at Kiara.

“I guess not,” Kiara shrugged. “I can’t help you there.”

“It’s fine,” Sabrina said. “We’ll just crash at YAGOO’s place.”

“Actually, we better get there now,” Reporter said.

“I would love to see Fubuki again,” Sabrina said. “She’s really nice. It’s also been a while since I’ve seen Kurokami.”

“You’re always after Fubuki,” Reporter sighed.

“I’ll allow you to speak up to me about that once you stop pining for Danchou,” Sabrina punched Reporter’s arm playfully. “I mean you really need to cool it with your onee-chan complex.”

“Well _I’m_ sorry if those ‘ara-aras’ are too good to pass up,” Reporter shot back.

“You guys are delusional,” Brianna sighed. “Ollie is obviously the best Hololive talent.”

“You’re just saying that because she’s your girlfriend,” Sabrina said.

“N-no!” Brianna stiffened. “She’s really funny and energetic and nice!”

“Who’s your favorite?” Brianna, Sabrina, and Reporter turned to Ryan.

“Tenchou, obviously,” Ryan said.

“Really?!” Kiara turned to Ryan, attempting to tackle him into a hug. “I’m so moved!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ryan said. “Now shoo. I need to close up.”

-

“That was tiring,” Ryan muttered to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. He stepped back as he opened the door as a huge wave of murderous intent flowed out of the room.

“What the fuck…?” Ryan asked. His question was answered as Suisei revealed herself, holding a rusty axe as a psychotic smile spread across her face.

“Did you really say that Kiara was your favorite Hololive talent?” Suisei said as she twirled the axe in her hand.

“I can explain,” Ryan held his hands up, taking a step back.

“You surrendered that right as soon as you stated your bias,” Suisei started to walk towards Ryan. “I think I need to re-educate you.”

“Matsuri help me,” Ryan whimpered as he took a step back. At that moment, he realized he was pinned to the wall.

“Matsuri can’t help you now,” Suisei tilted her head as she raised her axe.

“Shit.”

-

**Day 027: Calm before the Storm**

Kiara woke up to her phone pinging. She rolled over in bed, grabbing her phone. Her smile widened as she read the message.

 **YAGOO:** Everyone wants to meet at KFP today. I hope you and Ryan are ready

“Well, looks like we’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

-

Ryan sighed as he woke up. Suisei placed a note on the nightstand saying she was going to Cover Corp for a 3D stream (whatever that was) before going to run a couple errands. “I guess I’m on my own today,” Ryan sighed.

-

Ryan felt his own vibrating as he crossed the threshold to the KFP. He looked at his phone to see it was Kiara. “Tenchou, I’m right outside,” Ryan said before hanging up the phone. He put his phone in his pocket and looked up as Kiara ran out of the back room, opening the door for Ryan.

“Morning Ryan!” Kiara cheered, her tone noticeably more excited than usual.

“Morning Tenchou,” Ryan smiled as he looked at her. One thing he could never get enough of was Kiara’s enthusiasm. It was really infectious, helping Ryan get through the day more than once. “You seem excited about something.”

“Everyone’s going to come here to hang out before the war!” Kiara said. “You better kick your ass into high gear, because it will get crowded from here on out!”

“Of course, Tenchou,” Ryan smiled, dawning his KFP uniform.

“Oh, and by the way?” Kiara said.

“Yes, Tenchou?”

“Here you go,” Kiara opened her hand, a KFP cap appearing in her hand, ‘BEST EGG’ written below the KFP logo. “I thought you would like this.”

“Thank you, Tenchou,” Ryan wiped a tear from his eye as he put on the cap. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to Ryan. “Let’s do this.”

-

“Shuba!” The first person to walk in was Ui who was carrying Subaru in her arms.

“Pipipi!” Kiara replied in her own form of ‘birb talk’.

“Good morning,” Ryan said, directing his attention to Ui, as he didn’t understand what Subaru and Kiara were saying. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s nice to meet you.”

“My name is Shigure Ui,” Ui introduced herself with a polite nod as she sat down, placing Subaru on the counter. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Reine has said a lot of nice things about you.”

“Yo dayo!” Ayame burst through the doors, Choco following not too far behind, dragging Aqua and Shion with her.

“Ara, it’s nice to finally see you at your place of work, Ryan,” Choco said, letting go of the two brats to put a finger on her lips before turning to Shion and Aqua. “You two will behave now, right?”

“Hai, Choco-sensei,” The two said in unison, crocodile tears pouring from their faces.

“I see you had to be rough with them,” Ryan said, shuddering as he remembered her fight with Mary.

“I see you remember our sessions together~,” Choco said.

“I don’t, but I honestly don’t want to,” Ryan said, looking around nervously for a way out. “Who are those two people you were dragging?”

“Oh, I’m Minato Aqua!” Aqua shot up, a cheery smile on her face. “That garlic over there is Murasaki Shion. Don’t mind her, though. She’s a brat.”

“Neeeeee?!” Shion jumped up, getting up in Aqua’s face. “What did you say about me?!”

“Do I have to tell you two to behave again~?” Choco asked.

“No, Choco-sensei,” the two stiffened.

“Hey guys!” Subaru jumped from the counter, transforming into her human form. “Want to get a table?”

“Sure!” Aqua chirped, sitting down at the nearest table.

“I guess that’s fine,” Shion said, trudging after her as Choco, Ayame, and Ui walked over with them.

“Tenchou, I think we forgot something,” Ryan said as he heard the faint sound of wings flapping.

“What did we forget?” Kiara tilted her head.

“The tungsten,” Ryan said as the giant purple dragon landed outside the KFP.

“Shit,” Kiara said. “Eh, we’ll probably be fine.”

Coco reverted to her human form, Watame and Kanata hopped down while Towa floated down, carrying Luna.

“Nanora~!” Luna chirped as they opened the doors.

“Good morning motherfuckers!” Coco exclaimed.

“Morning Kaichou,” Ryan said, walking around the counter towards a table. “You five can sit here.”

“Thank you,” Towa said as she sat down next to Kanata. “Is there any way that I can tip you?”

“You don’t need to be so kind,” Ryan said, offering the others a wink.

“D-don’t call me kind!” Towa’s face flushed as she recoiled in absolute shock. “I’m a devil, you know?!”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan chuckled. Ryan suddenly got a bad feeling right when the doors opened. He turned to see Korone and Okayu walking in, holding hands (AN: lewd). He never did forget that time Korone stole his yubis and the dog girl still absolutely terrified him. She was one of the most adorable things to walk through those doors and Ryan loved her bubbly personality, but that didn’t make her any less scary.

“Good morning,” Ryan forced his customer service smile as he pushed down the thoughts of his fingerless hands. “My name is Ryan Shade. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Mogu mogu… Okayu!” Okayu closed her eyes, her smile widening as she introduced herself.

“Yubi yubi! I’m Inugami Korone!” Korone introduced herself.

 _-999 hp! Super effective!_ Ryan winced in pain as the cuteness started to overload his systems, but he tried his upmost to stay professional. “There are some free seats at the counter if you would like to sit there.”

“That sounds great,” Okayu said as they all walked over to the counter as Kiara walked from the back room with a comically large pot of stew for Gen 4.

“The usual I assume?” Ryan asked.

“You know what we want?” Okayu asked.

“Yep,” Ryan said. “By the way, I’m not falling for that trick.”

“Aw,” Korone looked down, her shoulder slumping.

“Don’t worry, I have some yubis for you in the back,” Ryan said, a reassuring smile on his face.

“Thank you,” Korone’s smile widened, her tail starting to wag.

 _-100 Hp! Critical Hit!_ Ryan smiled and walked to the back room before clenching his chest. The cuteness was just too much for him.

“You doing alright there?” Ryan turned to see Kiara walking up to him.

“Yeah, do you know where the fingers are?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll deal with the fingers. Can you make the onigiri?” Kiara said as a smile started to form on her face.

“I thought you would never ask.”

-

“Thank you for the food!” Korone cheered as she stood up.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Okayu said, a smirk on her face as she put her hands in her pockets as the two walked out. They were the last two to leave, so that left Kiara and Ryan by themselves.

“I’d say that was a pretty successful day,” Kiara said.

“Heads up,” Ryan said. “There’s more coming.”

“Oocha!” Gura kicked the doors open.

“Gura, don’t bully the doors too much,” Amelia said, patting Gura’s head.

“Hey Ame,” Ryan waved lazily at the detective. “How goes it?”

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish my mecha before the war, but at least I got the arms down,” Amelia said, holding out her arms. With a yellow glow, two giant, robotic arms that went from the entrance to the counter appeared, dozen of guns mounted on them.

“Even though we do allow weapons, I think I would have a hard time serving you like that,” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck.

“But Ryan~,” Ryan was surprised when Kiara was the one to whine. Ryan turned to his boss to see stars in her eyes. “They’re so cool.”

“You’ll get to see them tomorrow,” Ryan said, putting a hand on Kiara’s head.

“Fine,” Kiara and Amelia said at the same time as Amelia dispelled the arms.

“The usual, I assume?” Ryan tilted his head.

“Yep,” Amelia said. “And doughnuts for the apex predator.”

“Of course,” Ryan smiled at Gura before going to the back to heat up some water for tea, walking to the storage to grab a box of doughnuts. As he walked out, he poured the boiling water in a tea kettle before grabbing a couple bags of tea.

“Order up,” Ryan said as he walked out. When he did, he noticed Ina was there as well.

“Afternoon,” Ryan said as he placed the doughnuts and tea on the counter. “What would you like to eat.”

“Kiara’s already on her way to _fire_ up some Takoyaki,” Ina said, nodding to herself.

“That’s a stretch, even for me,” Ryan grumbled. “But I’m not In-a mood to judge.”

“Anyways, tomorrow is going to be a _blast_ , right?” Ina asked, winking at Ryan.

“I’m ready to deal out some _pun_ ishment,” Ryan said, cracking his knuckles.

“Please, for the love of everything that is good, stop your puns,” Amelia said, massaging her temples.

“C’mon, Watson! If you ask me, these puns are Ame-zing!” Gura said, munching on a doughnut.

“Takos are ready!” Kiara ran over with a plate of Takoyaki to place in front of Ina.

“Thank you,” Ina said as she took a bite. “Humu-humu.”

“Now, I suggest you all get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow,” Kiara said. “Make sure to hydrate and arrive at HoloHQ at time, alright?”

“Yes, Mama Birb,” Ryan said.

“It’s good that you know your place, my Little Egg,” Kiara patted Ryan’s head. Ryan smiled. He could get used to this life.

-

Ryan took off his cap as he walked down the alley, a smile on his face. As black mist started to move across the floor, Ryan stopped.

“You have some explaining to do,” Calli said as Ryan turned to confront her. Ryan walked up to calli, looking up at her, miffed that she was taller than him, but understood how she felt. Apparently, her sensei was alive and he didn’t tell her, but decided to tell someone who seemingly had no association with.

“Grimm’s a friend of a friend,” Ryan said simply. “Since my friend is gone, Grimm went to me. Grimm only gained the ability to come here recently. Last I checked, this was his first time coming to this dimension.”

“I see…” Calli rubbed her chin. Ryan could tell how conflicted she was. He smiled softly and pulled her into a hug.

“W-wha…!” Calli flushed, shocked.

“Just accept the hug, dad,” Ryan said.

“Fine,” Calli pouted, hugging back.

-

Ryan sighed as he opened the door to his apartment.

“How was work?” Suisei asked, running over people in GTA V.

“I’m sure you already know,” Ryan said, placing a hand on Suisei’s head.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Suisei asked, pausing the game to look at Ryan.

“I’m as ready as I can be,” Ryan said, offering Suisei a reassuring smile.

“Just do me a favor,” Suisei said. “Don’t die.”

Ryan forced a smile, knowing that the next words he was going to say was a lie. “I won’t,” he said. “That’s a promise.”

-

**Day 028.1: Forward Charge**

“Get up, Ryan!” Ryan jolted away to see Suisei standing over him. “Jeez, I’ve been trying to wake you up for like two minutes now.”

“Let me enjoy my beauty sleep before we all run off to war,” Ryan grumbled as he got up.

“Last chance to back out, by the way,” Suisei said. “This isn’t your fight.”

“Oh Suisei, I thought you would know be better by now,” Ryan stood up, putting a hand on Suisei’s head as she tilted her head in confusion. “This is my fight more than anyone’s.”

-

“Oh my gosh is that Pathway?!” Ryan heard Ollie’s shout even before he opened the door to the HoloHQ to see Ollie simping over Brianna with her mask on. Ryan used his context clues to assume that Ollie didn’t know that her girlfriend was behind the mask. “You’re my favorite Masked Mage!”

“Is that so…?” Brianna shuffled uncomfortably. Feeling gracious, Ryan decided to save his kind-of sister.

“Ollie, I’m sure she appreciates you, but you’re overwhelming her,” Ryan said, putting a hand on Ollie’s shoulder, pulling her a couple inches away from Brianna.

“Hey Ryan,” Brianna said.

“Morning, _Pathway_ ,” Ryan winked at Brianna, a playful smile dancing on his lips.

“Hi Ryan!” Ollie turned to Ryan. “Reine has told me a lot about you. I’m the number one zombie idol Kurrrreiji Ollie!”

“I’m flattered that such a prestigious figure has noticed me,” Ryan smiled at Ollie. “Do you have any idea where Anya is? I would like to talk to her.”

“Oh, so you know about her?” Ollie titled her head. “Not many people know about her life before Hololive, so I’m surprised you know about her.”

“Let’s just say she’s the friend of a friend,” Ryan said, waving his hand as Ollie lead him to Anya.

“She’s over there,” Ollie said, pointing at Anya, who was leaning on the wall alone. “Good luck. I’m going to go back to simping for Pathway.”

“Whatever you say,” Ryan sighed as Ollie ran off. He walked over to Anya, leaning on the wall next to her.

“Happy birthday,” Ryan said, looking at his phone to confirm the date.

“Thank you,” Anya smiled as she looked towards Ryan. “I assume you know me.”

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “Actually, someone I know would like to see you.”

“Who would that be?” Anya tilted her head, confused. This stranger just walked up to her claiming to know someone who would like to see her. It didn’t really make much sense. At that time, a cloud of darkness appeared in front of the two, Storm stepping out with his mask on.

“S-Storm…?” Anya looked shocked to see her previous wielder. “Why are you here?”

“The same reason you are, to fight for our future,” Storm walked up to Anya. “Well, I will be fighting for your future. I’ve lived a long life, and though I am not happy with the way I went out, my only wish now is for you to live your life the way you want to.”

“T-thank you,” Anya bowed.

“You know, I didn’t see you as the type of person to say something like that,” Ryan said, smiling at Storm.

“Without the void bringing down my back, I can now express myself in the way I want to,” Storm said. “Though I admit I have made many mistakes in the past, I want to improve myself and become a better person, even if I may not have the opportunity to express it as much.”

“I see,” Ryan said. “Well, there are a few stops I want to take before we set off.”

“See you on the battlefield,” Storm said. Ryan nodded as he walked off.

“Hey Aloe,” Ryan said as he walked over to HoloFive, who have been chatting amongst themselves. “It’s good to see you’re out of the void.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to finally stretch my legs,” Aloe smiled.

“I heard you were the one to get Aloe out of the void in the first place,” Botan said. “Thank you for giving our friend back to us.”

“It was nothing,” Ryan waved his hand. “I was only helping out a friend.”

“Hey Ryan!” Kiara called over.

“Looks like Tenchou is calling me,” Ryan smiled. “Stay safe out there, okay?”

“You too,” Aloe said as Ryan walked off to his manager, who was with Calli and Grimm.

“Hey Tenchou,” Ryan said. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, but are you?” Kiara asked.

“From what I heard, Ryan isn’t all too bad,” Grimm said. “Nux speaks highly of you.”

“Speaking of Nux, where is he now?” Ryan tilted his head.

“He said he had some errands to run and he would meet us in China,” Grimm replied.

“Figures,” Ryan said.

“Attention please,” YAGOO’s voice rang throughout the room, directing his attention. He was standing on a podium next to Shade. “There is a threat looming in this world. A force has taken over MILF and is starting to revert the universe back to where it was before the big bang. It is up to us to stop it. Not just for us, but for the world and beyond. Now let us go. Let us go be the heroes that the universe needs. Today, we are not an idol company or an entertainment company. Today, we are the last line of defense, and we will prevail.”

Ryan smiled as everyone started to cheer loudly. “Pathway, if you would,” Shade nodded towards Brianna. Brianna nodded back at Shade and waved both of her hands outward, creating a large portal. “Now, let us go. Let us go to war.”

-

Ryan was one of the first to walk through the portal. He paled as he saw the huge army before him, an eternal blackness behind them. Instead of people, the soldiers were nothing but black silhouettes of people, vehicles, giant weapons, and even beasts. There were silhouettes of giant quadrupedal beasts, dinosaurs, dragons, and other beasts of that caliber. The army was many times larger than the one that MILF had by themselves the first time Ryan fought in this war. “This… this is insane…” Ryan muttered to himself.

“Things seem grim, but we will still prevail,” YAGOO walked up next to Ryan before turning around, raising his voice. “Prepare for battle!”

Ryan turned around to see the scene before him Sora stood next to AZKi, holding a small bear, placing it down. “I believe in you, Ankimo,” Sora said as she and AZKi smiled at the bear. With a roar, the bear started to grow until it was twenty meters tall. It knelt down, the earth shaking slightly as its knees hit the ground, holding out its hands to Sora and AZKi who jumped up, letting the bear lift them up to its shoulders.

“Access Granted,” Roboco said with a robotic tone as she started to float, her legs turning into rocket boosters as her arms went into her body. Something started to fall out of orbit, splitting into two gigantic arms that attached themselves to Roboco. Several guns, launchers, and weapons started to reveal themselves as they sprouted off of Roboco’s arms. “Roboco EX deployed. Ready for termination.”

With a bright smile, Fubuki chomped down on her arm, causing her to grow in size and morph until she was a gigantic fox-cat creature which Ryan had dubbed Fubzilla. Fubzilla towered over Ankimo as it reached its full height of fifty meters. “FUWOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“I guess it’s finally time for us to work together, eh Haachama?” Haato put her hands together as a stream of water started to surround her, fire dancing around her body.

“HAACHAMACHAMA!” Haatochama opened her eyes as the fire and water started to swirl together, creating hundreds of floating spears.

“I AM GOD!” Matsuri started to glow as she grew in size, cracking her knuckles as she reached a size of roughly twenty five meters. Electricity started to crackle around her as she cracked her neck. “WE CAN DO IT!”

Aki reached in between her thighs, pulling out a comically large cannon as the hair on her twin tails receded, the disks growing in size and fusing together, letting Aki step on them, lifting her up.

Darkness covered Mel as she grew in size, transforming into a bat the size of a large truck. She flapped her wings, creating a large gust of air as she flew up next to Aki.

“SHUBAAAA!” The Subagelion flew down from the heavens, landing with one knee and the fist in the ground before standing up, shooting a giant laser from its mouth as it cried again. “SHUBA!”

“As cool as it would be to do something big, I think I should go with what I’m good at,” Aqua said as she grabbed a heavy machine gun that she had strapped to her back, cocking in back. She had two sidearms attached to a belt above her dress and a shotgun and a sniper rifle attacked to her back. “WRYYYYY!”

“Suit yourself,” Shion said as staff appeared in her hand. She held the staff up, chanting silently to herself. Four golems started to form, made out of water, earth, fire, and wind respectively. The golems were ten meters each. The earth one picked up the small witch and placed her on its shoulder.

Ayame’s eyes started to glow red as a menacing aura stated to emanate off her. The silhouette of a demon appeared behind her smiling wickedly as Ayame unsheathed her two tantos. Ayame smiled, somehow still being absolutely adorable while exerting the killer intent of several bloodthirsty berserkers at once.

Choco smiled softly as she took a step forward, pink energy dancing around her fingertips. “I don’t need to grow bigger to show my true power,” she said as she started to fly, her wings flapping through the air. “I’m already perfect.”

A minotaur that Ryan vaguely remembered as Hatotarus appeared behind Mio as she unsheathed a katana. Hatotarus began to become more and more opaque until it floated down, planting its feet on the floor. “Finally, a physical form,” A deep voice resonated throughout the area. “Thank you for this, Mio.”

“It’s no problem!” Mio smiled at the large bull man. “Now, let’s show them who’s boss!”

“Okayu!” Korone chirped, throwing what Ryan recognized was the Unmaker at Okayu. The cat girl caught it and smirked.

“Now this is what I’m talking about,” Okayu said as Korone pulled out the BIG FUCKING GUN 9000!!!

“Are you ready for this?” Pekora asked.

“Of course,” Miko smiled at the bunny idol. “There’s no time like the present.”

They both smirked, looking forward as two mechs landed behind them. The both jumped up, doing a backflip as they entered their respective mechs. As their eyes flared to life, they started to separate, parts flying off and connecting with each other as the two mechs formed a giant mech… the PekoMikodam.

“Thanks for coming to help out, mama,” Rushia smiled wholeheartedly at her mother.

“It’s no problem,” Rushimama said. “Now, we’re going to need all our energy to pull off this spell.”

“Hai,” Rushia and Rushimama closed their eyes as they started to chant. Ryan recoiled in shock as skeletons started to rise from the ground. Ryan could see skeletons for several hundred meters rise from the ground and could only assume the amount they summoned was in the thousands. Rushia stumbled a bit, but Marine caught her.

“Don’t go passing out on me before the wedding, eh?” Marine smirked.

“I can still fight,” Rushia smiled back as she got up.

“Good,” Marine said as she grabbed a ship in a bottle, smashing it. With a flash of light, a giant floating galleon revealed itself. Marine grabbed Rushia and Rushimama and jumped up to the galleon.

“Flare! Look at this view!” Noel called from the crow’s nest.

“I can see,” Flare said as she climbed up next to Noel. “It is time to fight, now.”

“Yes, it is,” Noel said, drawing Excalibur. “I’m ready.”

“KING!” Kanata started to grow in size, fur enveloping her body until she was a twenty-five meter tall gorilla. She pounded her chest as she started to roar. “KONG!”

Coco also started to grow until she was in her dragon form. With a roar, she stood up on her hind legs, her arms starting to shrink as her body started to grow even more until she was capable of supporting herself on her hind legs. Coco roared.

“Nanora~!” Luna walked through the portal in a full suit of pink armor. She raised her hands as a pink light started to glow throughout the area. When the light subsided, thousands of soldiers appeared behind her. “Today I can finally be a general! We shall go to war!”

Watame looked around at everyone growing in size, transforming, summoning armies, and getting mechs with nothing but her harp. She smiled, her pupils dilating as she offered a shrug. “Watame did nothing wrong.”

“It’s time for SUPER NECECHI to shine!” Nene yelled as her eyes started to glow, energy starting to radiate in her hands. Bear ears formed on her head as her hands turned into claws. She flexed her claws, making an adorable angry smile. “GAO!”

The ground started to freeze around Lamy as icicles started to form around her. She crossed her legs, extending one arm upwards and one arm towards as if she were a ballerina. With a soft glow, a rapier appeared in her hand. “I refuse to let this world die,” she said as a chilly aura started to emanate around her. “After all, Botan and I still have to get married.”

“Well said,” Botan put her foot on a rock, attaching a grenade launcher to her machine gun. “We will live our happy ending out together.”

“POL!” Polka was on top of an elephant, juggling about a dozen bombs in the shape of multicolored balls. “This isn’t that bad! I could do this all day!”

Dark energy started to fuse with purple fire as Aloe started to fly up. “It turns out being in the void for so long has its perks,” she said to herself as her left eye turned black, the iris turning pink as it started to glow. A surge of power exerted from Aloe as purple flames swirled around her.

Risu started speaking in an undeterminable language, a wide smile on her face. The ground started to shake as an army of giant squirrels started to form, crowding around Risu. “These are all the nuts I’ve gained from Nonstop Nut November,” Risu said as she mounted a squirrel twice the size of the others.

A UFO flew down from the heavens, hovering several meters above the ground. The lid popped open as Iofi popped out of the cockpit, a wide smile on her face. “OBISA!” Iofi cheered, her fist shooting in the air as the lid covered the ship once more.

Moona glided down, gracefully landing next to Iofi’s UFO. “Worry not, my wife,” She said, summoning her rapier with a wave of her hand, the weapon glowing with lunar energy. “I will protect you.”

Ollie smirked as she closed her eyes. With one swift motion, she pulled her sword out of her head. The droplets of blood that flew from it froze in midair before flying towards her sword, coating it to make a sort of blood-infused metal that shone in the light.

Anya summoned a kris, examining the weapon before closing her eyes, concentrating. Several more identical weapons appeared behind her, floating in midair.

“You know, I’m proud of you,” Storm said, walking next to Anya, holding his own weapon of darkness.

“Thank you, Storm,” Anya smiled at the tall man. “It makes me really happy that you said that.”

Wind started to gather around Reine as she closed her eyes, peacock feathers sprouting from her back. She unsheathed her weapon, Hiraitamon. As she did, the wind started to focus around the blade, creating small cyclone that covered the sword.

Amelia smirked as she summoned her giant mech arms, waving them around with ease. She closed one eye and dozens of guns extended from the arms. “I’m going to ground pound your mom so hard she won’t even be able to _think_ the word seiseo.”

“AO-Chan, it’s time,” Ina smirked as she grabbed her squishy bangs. The tentacles on her back grew, hoisting her up before she started floating altogether. Suddenly, a body started to form around her until she turned into a purple Cthulhu type creature.

Gura pulled her hood over her head as she started to grow, her head slowly morphing into the head of a shark. She continued to grow until she was four meters tall, water swirling at her feet as lightning crackled from her trident. “I ain’t a little shark anymore!”

Calli sighed as she covered her body with a cloak. She started to float as her scythe started to grow in size. “So, this is what it’s like to be Death itself,” she mused to herself as she twirled her scythe, a blade growing from the bottom part of her scythe.

Fire wings started to burn from Kiara’s back as she flew upwards. She attached her two gadgets together before extending her hand to her side. Instead of plasma that came out of the sword, it was a giant burst of fire that burned for meters on end.

“Did you really think that we wouldn’t join in?” Ryan flinched as he felt someone slap his back.

“Roberu?!” Ryan turned to see the bartender smirking at him. Several men were behind him in which Ryan could assume that it was the rest of Holostars.

“Watch and learn, kid,” Roberu said as his eyes started to glow. Fire started to burn from his right side as ice started to form around his left side. “Man, I feel like I’m something straight out of an anime. Well, I bet that anime character doesn’t run a bar.”

Temma held out both of his hands as he started to glow. A suit of armor covering his suit. A sword appeared in his right. The determined look on his face was then covered by a knight’s helmet. He brought his hand towards his face and closed the guard.

Leda closed his eyes. “You know, I didn’t really know much about myself in the past,” he said to himself. Suddenly, angel wings sprouted from his back. “The one thing I know is that the thing I felt when I fell from heaven… was extreme pain.”

Dark electricity danced around Izuru as he strummed his guitar. “I guess using my talents for good doesn’t get more literal than this,” he said, looking up. “It’s just sad that I have to fight.”

“Though I thought I gave up this life a long time ago, I was able to call in a few favors,” Aruran put on a fedora, tipping it with a smirk as several cars drove out of the portal, armed men stepping out of the car with suits. “But I guess the Godfather must make one last stand.”

“Accessing database,” Rikka closed his eyes as the air fluctuated around him. “Executing fire, water, electricity, earth, wind. Battle mode engaged.”

Steam escaped Oga’s mouth as he exhaled. He held out his hand and an aged broadsword roughly twice his size. He hoisted it on his shoulder with practiced ease as green fire burned from underneath his eyepatch. The sword glowed with power as he entered a battle stance.

Shien heaved a sigh, his hands in his pockets as he pulled a silenced revolver from his pocket. He raised his free hand so it was eye level with him. With a snap of his fingers and a smirk, two portals appeared and several beastmen walked out carry an assortment of guns. “Sick ‘em.”

A-chan pushed up her glasses as a black robe with the Hololive play button in the back. Energy danced around her hands before completely enveloping.

Enma unsheathes two katanas, demonic energy radiating from the two katanas. “Man, I haven’t fought in a way in what? Forty years?” She enters a fighting stance. “Finally, I can have some fun!”

YAGOO walked up in front of everyone, a staff in his hand. He stamps the staff on the ground, a yellow light coming from the top of the staff, spreading across everybody. Ryan’s body felt lighter as the light washed over him. “It is time for us to battle. We need to win this, for we cannot afford to lose.”

“Hey partner,” Ryan turned to see Nux, a torrent of blue and white flames fading as he walked up to him. Nux was holding his machete, resting it on his shoulder. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Where the hell were you?” Ryan tilted his head as he asked, more confused than agitated. “We were waiting for you.”

“You know, the pamphlets have a second use other than teleporting someone to KFP,” Nux said as he cut his finger and pulled out a pamphlet, smearing his blood on the pentagram as he threw it on the floor. “It can be used as a beacon.”

Several portals started to open up as the portal that Brianna made started to close. The first person to exit a portal was Mana. “I heard what was going on,” she said as tendrils of hair started to fly up, a roar being heard coming from the back of her head. “Looks like I have to put some little bitches in their place.”

Yuni and Jam (in human form) were the next ones to step out. “You ready to save the world, Jam?” Yuni asked, a smug smirk on her face.

“I’m more excited to sink my blade into my enemies,” Jam said with a sadistic smile as he summoned a hatchet. “Saving the world is only a bonus. I want to bathe in their blood.”

“Oh, Jam,” Yuni said nonchalantly as her magical energy started to rise, “you’re always like this.”

With a flash of electricity, Roro revealed herself. Electricity gathered in her horns as she skated into the ranks. “I wonder if these things still have souls,” she licked her lips as she summoned a knife. “I hope that they do. I skipped breakfast for this.”

Patra, Mary, Mico, and Charlotte flew out of another portal, examining the enemy ranks. “Do you think we’ll be able to do this?” Patra asked.

“We can contribute,” Charlotte said. “We need to do this for the sake of the world.”

“Let’s all do our best,” Mary smiled.

“I’ve already prepared for this,” Mico said, a giant rocket launcher appearing over her shoulder.

“Eh?” The other three gave Mico a blank stare.

“What?” Mico tilted her head. “You didn’t expect this?”

“Huh, I thought my fighting days were over,” Neko said as she unsheathed her claws, stepping out of a portal. “Whatever. A job’s a job. I better be getting a raise after this, though.”

Uto flew out of a portal, hovering close to Amelia. “Are you ready for this, Ame-tan?”

“I’m surprised you’re here,” Amelia smirked at Uto. “I thought you’re too pure to join something like this.”

“This isn’t my first time in a warzone,” Uto replied, shuddering. “I will do what I have to.”

Bao and Artemis walked out of another portal, water swirling around them. “Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this, Gura,” Artemis said, putting a hand on her hip.

“Arty! Bao-sensei!” Gura reared his shark head to look at the two. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“I didn’t either, but we caught word from an orange piece of paper of what was going on,” Bao said. “We will always be there for you when it matters.”

A bunch of little four-legged creatures rushed out of a portal. Ryan heard a bunch of voice saying something along the lines of “hOI! I’M tEM!” or something like that. Temmie then revealed herself as she stepped out of the portal. “Huh, I never thought I would be fighting again. Whatever. This should be fun.”

Lily and Vivi were the next to appear. “Let’s get nuclear!” Vivi cheered.

“I think you’re a bit too excited for this,” Lily said, giggling. “I don’t mind, though. It’s cute.”

“You bet,” Vivi said, shooting Lily finger guns, a flush on her face. “Let’s blow this joint.”

“I guess I can help out,” Ririsya said, hissing the words out. “It’s time for me to save the world.”

“Awoo~!” Lumi bounded from the portal, hey eyes red as she held a pistol. “You all will give me pats!”

Merry walked out of the same portal with a dignified aura, knives in his hands. “Well, let’s do this.”

Pochi flew out of one of the portal carry two large swords. “You bitches ready to feel my two hit multi-target attacks?!”

Juniper walked out of a portal, heaving a sigh. “It sucks, considering that I can only harness my full power under the full moon.”

“Allow me to help,” Luna walked over as she started to glow.

“I’m feeling lunar energy seep into me,” Juniper looked at her four arms. “What are you?”

“I’m a lunar goddess,” Moona explained.

“Sick,” Juniper started to grow until she was a gigantic eldritch moth. She flapped her wings, flying into the air. She then looked down to Moona, her face moving. “YOU ARE MY LITTLE POG CHAMP.” (AN: I did put a space between the words pog and champ because of the way Juniper said it in this clip: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZa2gYJmsas>).

“Whoo!” Ironmouse jumped out of a portal. “I’m ready for this party to start! I even brought some friends!”

Melody flew out of a portal, landing next to Reporter. “Thanks for this body, man. This thing can do a lot of shit!”

“Yeah, yeah, you can thank Ryan later,” Reporter grumbled. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have made that android for another couple weeks.”

“I don’t know what the hell you are, but this planet is mine!” Hime’s voice came out of a giant, robotic dragon. “ _I’m_ the one who’s going to make babies here and _I’m_ the one who’s going take over the world!”

“Hime, time and place,” Zen’s voice came out of a red dragon that flew out of the same portal.

“I better be getting some souls after this,” Froot heaved a sigh as she walked out of a portal, followed closely by Silvervale.

“Yeah, it really sucked to cut that stream short,” Silvervale said, summoning two katanas, her large tail swishing back and forth. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Heads up,” Shade said, tapping Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan looked at Shade to see that he was draped in a brown cloak, holding a staff with an orange gem on the top. “Get ready for battle.”

Grimm holds two scythes, one of them orange and gold, its blade made out of concentrated plasma whole the other one was pitch black, dark energy emanating off of it. The two on his mask turned crimson as he twirled both of the scythes. “Huh, who knew I would need to use these babies again.”

Jack sighed as he took off his eyepatch, revealing a closed eye. He put on his mask, the black three turning green as he summoned two daggers, green flames dancing on the ground around him. “I could use a drink right now. If we lose this, then I won’t ever get to drink again, and that would suck ass.”

Sabrina took out of her wand and waved it a couple times, the four on her mask turning pink. The earth formed around her. Rocks and stones attached themselves to her body, forming a sort of exoskeleton. The rocky hands started to turn orange as it heated up, wind forming around it. She let her fists clash.

The six on Brianna’s mask turned a deep blue as she stepped forward, portals appearing from her palms, jets of hellfire firing from the portal. “Sucks that I don’t have a weapon, but I guess my portal will do.”

“I guess I have nothing better to do,” Reporter said as the seven in his mask turned yellow. He put on his gauntlets, letting them clash a couple times before grabbing at Brianna’s hellfire. “I’ll be taking that.”

“Hey!” Brianna gasped. “Who said you could take my power?!”

“I do what I want,” Reporter said as similar hellfire blazed from his gauntlets. “Now, let’s get this over with.”

“Would you like to do the honors?” Ryan turned around to see Storm, the zero of his mask grey, the same color of his eyes. Ryan turned to see everyone was looking at him, as if waiting for him.

“C’mon, we’re waiting on you!” Kiara said, a huge smile on her face.

“I don’t know why, but I guess I’ll take it,” Ryan said as he summoned Edhas’s mask, looking at it, wiping the five on the mask. “Sorry, bud, but I don’t think these don’t look that bad.”

He put on the mask, surprised when his sight was not altered at all when he put on the mask. He summoned both of his guns, crossing his arms. “Now,” he said, his magic power rising. “Let’s go save the world.”

-

**Day 028.2: The Final Battle**

As Ryan charged, flipping up the black gun into a straight kris, he saw the army of darkness charge towards them. He looked up as the Shubagelion zoomed passed him, grabbing what looked like a gigantic mechanical sausage, rocketing down to the middle of the army, sending several silhouettes flying several meters in the air before blasting a laser from its mouth. The PekoMikodam wasn’t too far behind, blasting at the inexhaustible army with a rocket launcher that shot a gigantic explosive carrot. “STAY HOME-PEKO!”

“Heads up!” Brianna shouted, creating several portals in front of the army. Ryan smirked, jumping through one of the portals, finding himself in the air a couple dozen meters above the army of shadows. He flipped his knife over, gripping it tightly as electricity coursed through it. When he stabbed the ground, a field of electricity spreading from the ground, electrocuting his enemies for about a hundred meters.

“Damn, I’ve gotten pretty good at this,” Ryan said to himself. He turned around as he heard footsteps to see a gigantic shadow tiger three times his size. As he raised his gun, several hundred sword slashes went through the tiger, cutting it to dust.

“You need to watch your back,” Ryan turned around yet again to see Enma sheathing her swords.

“Thanks for the save,” Ryan smirked, pointing the gun at Enma, shooting a shadow behind her.

“I guess that makes us even,” Enma said before dashing off.

Ryan sighed and ran off to the closest group of enemies. “Hey Ryan!” Reporter called as he punched someone’s head off with his burning gauntlets. “Shoot me!”

“What?!” Ryan asked as he shot a shadow in the head.

“Just do it!” Reporter said.

“Fine,” Ryan said as he channeled magic energy into his gun, firing at Reporter. Reporter grabbed the beam, his gauntlets channeling with power.

“Thanks, bud. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on Edhas’s magic. He never lets me play with it,” Reporter smiled as he grabbed a pebble on the ground, throwing it. As he threw it, the pebble grew in size until it was five times his size, crushing his enemies.

“I didn’t know I could do that,” Ryan said.

“You can’t,” Reporter said. “It’s Edhas’s magic, not yours.”

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled as he stabbed a shadow lion in the head.

“Hold on!” Ryan stopped and turned to see Ironmouse holding up a hand towards a shadowy figure about to slice her to bits. She then took out a device with a big red button on it. When she pressed the button, her chest size almost doubled in size (AN: Yes, this is canon). “Alright!”

She pointed her finger at the shadowy man and a laser shot out of it, completely disintegrating its head.

“Time and place, Mousey,” Silvervale said, forming from a bunch of sakura blossoms as a slew of enemies were cut down in an instant.

“Hey Silvervale,” Ryan said as he kicked a soldier in the face before shooting him in the head and stabbing him in the stomach. “I guess I’m fulfilling that promise to help you protect the world, huh?”

“What promise?” Silvervale asked as she sent a wave of blossoms at a group of enemies, hacking them to ribbons before turning to Ryan, putting her free hand on her hip. “Last time I checked; this is the first time we’ve met.”

“Huh,” Ryan shrugged. “My memory must be off. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Silvervale replied as her body changed into a bunch of blossoms and flew off.

“Huh, that’s pretty badass,” Ryan thought aloud as he ducked, narrowly missing a bullet to the head.

“Not yet,” Ryan said as he threw his knife, stabbing his assailant in the head before the knife flew back into his hand. Marine’s giant galleon then landed in front of him, crushing a bunch of soldiers.

“Hey, Ryan!” Marine called from the top. “You’re in a hurry, right? Hop on!”

“With pleasure,” Ryan said as he channeled magic into his legs that propelled him up onto the deck of the ship.

“These cannons are way more fun to use than bows!” Flare cheered as she lit the fuse of a cannon, firing it into the enemy ranks.

“Hey Ryan!” Noel called over from the crow’s nest. “Come here! The view is amazing!”

“Alright,” Ryan said, bounding over to Noel’s side.

“Look! Ankimo is so cute!” Noel pointed over to the gigantic bear. Ryan looked over to see AZKi and Sora with what seemed to be giant speakers next to them as Ankimo ruthlessly stomped and threw shadow soldiers around like broken toys.

“What’s with the speakers?” Ryan asked, pointing at the two idols.

“They don’t really have offensive magic,” Noel explained as she summoned a mace, throwing it at a shadow tiger that had tried to jump up to board the galleon. As the mace vanished in a yellow light, it reappeared in her hand. “Their magic involves singing to amplify their allies.”

“I see,” Ryan tilted his head as a shadow soldier flew past him. He turned around to see Kanata in gorilla form using a giant shadow tiger as a bat to smack her enemies around.

“Watch out, Kanatan!” Coco shouted, though the shout sounded more like a deep roar as she exhaled a bunch of fire. “You almost hit Senchou!”

“My bad!” Kanata shouted in her normal voice before roaring, slamming the tiger into the ground.

Ryan turned his attention to the army of Tems that were trampling the shadow soldiers. One of them flew up in a jetpack, landing in the middle of the group. “Sup,” the Tem said in an uncharacteristically deep voice as a chain gun popped from the jetpack and unloaded, “I’m Bob.”

“What the fuck,” Ryan looked at the scene in utter bewilderment.

“Some things are better left unanswered,” Noel said.

“Well, I better get back to the fighting,” Ryan said. “Can’t slack off forever, ya know?”

“Let me join you,” Noel said. Ryan just smirked as the two jumped down, Ryan shooting at any enemy in sight before he landed. As they landed, Flare shot a cannonball which blew up behind them.

“That was badass,” Ryan said as he shot a laser (AN: LASERS!) at a group of shadow soldiers, watching it explode.

“I guess I’ll see you,” Noel said as she summoned Excalibur before speeding off to the nearest enemy, tackling it and crushing its head with her shoe.

Ryan aimed his gun at another soldier before it got crushed by a giant, purple tentacle with about dozen others. “I guess you can say that this is quite smashing,” Ina said in a deep voice.

“God, even in war you can’t stop with the puns,” Ryan grumbled. A giant foot then stomped next to Ryan, sending him flying.

“I AM GOD!” Matsuri shouted before she just straight up decked a shadow dragon, killing it instantly.

“Ow, you could have aimed your foot a bit better,” Ryan muttered under his breath as Matsuri punted a tank.

Ryan looked up as Pochi leaped over him, a wild smile on her face as she wielded her two gigantic swords. “Man, I haven’t gotten a nice opportunity to stretch my legs like this in a while!” Her hair started to grow into tendrils which shot out, stabbing and slicing at any shadow soldier that got close to them.

“Man, I’m really starting to feel inadequate here,” Ryan said to himself.

“Don’t worry about it!” Ryan turned to see Sabrina, who had abandoned her stone mecha. With a wave of her wand, several meteors flew down, crashing down on the enemy. “I’m not all that much either.”

“You’re not helping,” Ryan grumbled as Juniper landed next to him, shooting lasers from her eyes (AN: I asked Juniper if she shot lasers. She didn’t answer, so I just assumed she could).

“Hop on!” Juniper said on her distorted voice. Ryan responded with a nod, jumping on her back as she flew off.

“Do me a favor and pat the fluff for me, okay?” Juniper said. Ryan gave her a confused look, but shrugged, rubbing the fluff. “Thank you.”

“No problem…?” Ryan said as he looked down below him. Aloe was flying through the air alongside with Towa, scorching anything in sight. Polka jumped up from her elephant, grabbing on to Aloe’s hand. Polka held a bomb up as Lamy and Nene blasted it with their respective beams. Aloe tossed Polka back onto her elephant as she threw the ball. The ball landed in Botan’s grenade launcher. She pulled the trigger, sending it flying, obliterating a shadow dragon with a burst of fire and ice.

“Their teamwork is not that bad,” Ryan said to himself. Ryan then looked down to see Oga in what he assumed was a berserker’s rage. His pupils were gone and his left eye was now uncovered, the eye burning with green flames. Even though he was in a rage, he was still dispatching them with practiced ease, as if he had been fighting for so long that fighting was ingrained in his DNA, able to utilize his martial arts and skills no matter what state he was in.

“Alright, fuck this,” Jam said. He closed his eyes as he started to glow, slowly morphing into a dragon. He roared, fire jutting out of his mouth burning a multitude of shadow soldiers. Yuni flew up on his back, shooting a giant laser from her horn. Roro followed not far behind, flying up as bolts of lightning pierced a bunch of soldiers. The lightning then rescinded from the soldiers, pulling out dark, tinted souls.

“These are no good. I refuse to eat rotten souls,” Roro said, casting the souls aside. “Whatever. I’ll go get dinner after this.”

Uto flew around, shooting lasers at soldiers around her. She then opened her hand, summoning a machine gun. She unloaded on the shadow soldiers. When she ran out of ammo, she threw the gun at a random shadow soldier. She then summoned a giant railgun, charging it up. “GG men.”

“Hey Ryan!” Juniper said, causing Ryan to look up just before Uto pulled the trigger. “Looks like Kiara needs help!”

“Huh?” Ryan turned to see Calli, Kiara, Gura, and Amelia duking it out with a shadow soldier twice Amelia’s size. Juniper grabbed Ryan with one of her giant hands.

“Sending you in!” Juniper shouted, throwing Ryan straight at them.

“What the fuckkkk?!” Ryan shouted as he flew over, landing next to Kiara.

“Glad you can make it!” Gura shouted over as she bit on the shadow soldier’s arm, only to be thrown off.

“So, you’ve been the thorn in my side,” the shadow soldier said, throwing a punch at Ryan.

“Sorry, but who are you?” Ryan said, dispelling his kris to catch the punch. He winced at the force. “Man, you’re strong.”

“I am the void, the essence of nothingness!” The void shouted.

“Don’t care!” Kiara shouted as she slashed at the void, causing him to stagger. Calli then jumped up, using Kiara’s shoulder as a boost to jump up even farther, slashing downwards at the void.

“Calli finally stepped on me!” Kiara squealed before being knocked back by a blast of darkness.

“Don’t get sidetracked!” Amelia reached up with her mecha arm, catching Kiara.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kiara said as she flew back into the fight, followed by several missiles shot by Amelia. She impaled the void, followed by several explosions.

“You fool,” The void grabbed Kiara, throwing Kiara aside. “Nothing you can do will hurt me! You are not strong enough!”

“Maybe I am, though,” Ryan said, smirking as he jumped up, aiming both of his guns at the void and drained all of his magic into his guns, unloading all of it point blank in the void’s face.

“Hey, that actually stung,” The void said, grabbing leg. “Too bad it wasn’t enough.”

“Ah shit,” Ryan said before getting flung to the floor.”

“Ryan!” Out of nowhere, Suisei dashed for Ryan, catching him. “Are you alright?”

“That kind of hurt, but I’m alright,” Ryan said, standing up. “Don’t have much magic left.”

“Please tell me you have a plan of attack,” Suisei said.

“Yeah,” Ryan said, scowling as he dashed for the void. “Attack.”

“It’s useless,” the void said, backhanding Ryan.

“Like hell it is!” Kiara shouted, swinging her giant fire sword. The void caught her sword, charging a beam of darkness in his hands.

Without thinking, Ryan dashed for Kiara, grabbing her and throwing her aside. “Ryan!” Kiara shouted as she flew backwards. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“Sorry Tenchou,” Ryan smiled softly. “Thanks for everything.”

Kiara extended her hand at Ryan as the beam of darkness swallowed his entire head.

-

**Day 028.3: Coexist**

“Damn, you really fucked up, huh?” Ryan opened his eyes to be in the eternal void that was his mindscape. He turned to his right to see Edhas, just as he remembered him. The same black hoodie and sweatpants, the same hood covering his messy black hair, the same glowing amethyst and the same crass voice. Well, this version of Edhas reminded Ryan more of when he first met him, naturally. His voice was more aggressive and his stance more defensive.

“Edhas?” Ryan asked, forcing himself to hold back tears. He wasn’t sure if this was his Edhas or not.

“I’m surprised you even know who I am,” Edhas chuckled dryly. “I thought I was supposed to get my mind wiped. It’s actually really weird. I’m supposed to be able to read your mind, but I’m not able to.”

“Huh, I guess I’ve been getting better at that,” Ryan shrugged, confirming that this Edhas wasn’t the one he had gotten to know. “I’ll give you access once we come to an agreement.”

“An agreement?” Edhas tilted his head, scowling as his brow furrowed. “Bro, you got your head blasted off. There’s no agreement in there.”

“I got shot so I could see you,” Ryan said. “Well, I don’t know if there was another way to get to you, though.”

“Meh, I didn’t think I could come back unless Storm and Shade wanted it to happen,” Edhas said, shrugging. “Those asswipes probably wouldn’t have let me out anytime soon though.”

“Huh, they’ve mellowed out since you’ve gone, or at least I think,” Ryan shrugged. “Brianna’s alive too. Along with Reporter and Grimm, but then again, they’re not your sister, so I don’t know if you care as much.”

“Really?” Edhas asked, dropping his aggressive demeanor for a second before putting his guard back up. “That’s good to hear. I guess I better get out there. Still gonna destroy the fuckin world, though.”

“Sorry, bud, can’t let you do that,” Ryan said, talking a step forward. “I’ve got my own family I have to look out for.”

“I see you’ve been living a good life,” Edhas smirked. “I wouldn’t lie if I told you I wasn’t jealous, but I’m kind of happy that you got a better life than I did.”

“I was by no means perfect. The universe sent me its fair share or dick punches to me,” Ryan shrugged, “but there’s a chance for a better life. Just give it a shot.”

“Maybe,” Edhas said, walking up to Ryan. “Well, it seems we’ve come to an impasse.”

“I guess we have,” Ryan said, taking his hands out of his pockets.

“There’s only one way that we’re going to resolve this conflict,” Edhas said, tensing his muscles. “You think you can beat me?”

“You? Hell no,” Ryan said as he raised his fists, sliding his right foot back, “but I can try.”

Ryan raised his left arm to his face just in time to block a roundhouse kick. Ryan bent his right leg, attempting to kick him in the chin, but Edhas jumped back. “Tch,” Edhas scoffed before dashing back, attempting an uppercut. Ryan blocked the hit, aiming a knee at Edhas’s gut, but Edhas grabbed his knee. The two jumped back, putting a few meters of distance between hi,

“You’re doing a lot better than I expected,” Edhas said. “If you were just a normal person, I would have just been kicking you while you’re down.”

“Don’t remind me,” Ryan chuckled as he got into a fighting position. Ryan slid forward, performing a roundhouse kick, which Edhas dodged by dashing backwards. As soon Ryan put his foot down, he spun on his heel before jumping and doing another roundhouse kick. Edhas ducked under the kick and uppercutted Ryan, hitting his gut and sending him sprawling.

“Alright, enough warm up,” Edhas said as his fists started to glow purple. He threw a punch at Ryan, a magical blast shot from his fist, flying towards Ryan at blinding speeds. Ryan narrowly dodged, the blast giving Ryan a small cut on his cheek.

“That was kind of cheap,” Ryan grumbled, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve as his fists started to glow a similar color, albeit a bit brighter. “Two can play at that game, though.”

“I see you’ve developed your own magic,” Edhas said. “At least you’re not a fuckin freeloader. Now come here so I can pummel your ass to the ground.”

“You can try!” Ryan shouted as he dashed for Edhas, throwing a punch. Edhas deflected the blast the punch that was shot with a roundhouse kick. He did another roundhouse kick, launching a slash of energy. Ryan jumped, doing a front flip over the slash. He continued running as he handed, doing another front flip into an axe kick, propelling his foot with magic. Edhas crossed his arms, blocking the attack. A shockwave occurred in the resulting hit. Edhas threw Ryan off by pushing his arms upward, Ryan landing after doing a couple backflips. Edhas dashed for Ryan, doing a roundhouse kick. Ryan did a back hand-spring to dodge him, kicking Edhas in the chin.

“Huh,” Edhas wiped the bit of blood dribbling down his chin. He pointed to Ryan and an honest to god laser fired out of his finger. Ryan enhanced his legs with magic, narrowly dodging the attack.

“Now that’s just not cool,” Ryan said. “Don’t bring lasers to a fist fight.”

“Fair enough,” Edhas shrugged. “Shall we finish this?”

“Yeah, this is getting tedious,” Ryan said, sighing. He funneled magic into his right leg as Edhas funneled magic into his right arm. The charged at each other, Ryan doing a roundhouse kick as Edhas did a straight punch, creating a large explosion that engulfed the both of them.

-

“Ow,” Ryan opened his eyes, sitting up, wincing in pain as he sat up. “How long was I out?”

“Not too long,” Ryan turned to his left to see Edhas sitting next to him.

“Weren’t you going to take your body back and destroy the world?” Ryan asked. “Why are you still here?”

“You subconsciously unlocked your memories when I kicked you unconscious,” Edhas said. “You were pretty fucking pathetic back then, weren’t you?”

“You know, I don’t like to remember when you kicked me while I was down while you berated me,” Ryan said.

“Man, don’t say it like that,” Edhas chuckled, hitting Ryan in the back of the head playfully. “Man, I was actually a good person there. I never thought I would get there.”

“I still don’t know what happened back then, but you _are_ a good person,” Ryan said. “You were just dealt a shitty hand.”

“You know, I might just tell you about it someday,” Edhas said, looking up. “It would be nice to open up to someone.”

“Yeah, I understand that,” Ryan said, looking at his hands. “Man, it feels like yesterday when I was just a normal person. It also feels like yesterday when you died in front of me.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised I went out like that,” Edhas said, chuckling dryly. “The people you’ve met… they must have changed something in me.”

“Yeah, you were a fucking pervert,” Ryan laughed. “You know, I think Roboco-san was your favorite.”

“After sifting through your memories, I can see why,” Edhas chuckled. “Man, I really need a hug right now.”

“Get over here,” Ryan smiled, pulling his other half into a hug. “It’s nice to see you.”

“I meant a hug from a girl, you gay fuck,” Edhas said, “but thanks.”

“No problem,” Ryan said, pulling away. “So, you want to go kick some void ass?”

“Of course,” Edhas said, standing up. “I have a few bones to pick with that ass.”

“By the way,” Ryan extended his hand, summoning a black sword. “I think this belongs to you.”

“Thanks,” Edhas said as he grabbed onto the hilt of a sword, the space starting to light up around them.

“I’m just happy to have you back,” with those words, their world went white.

-

“Ryan!” Suisei and Kiara yelled as the void threw Ryan’s corpse aside.

“I’ll kill you!” In an instant, Suisei was in front of the void, her axe colliding with its head. A large shockwave was created due to the force of the blow. The void seemed to wince in pain but was wholly undamaged.

“Pitiful,” the void said, slapping Suisei aside.

“Are you alright?!” Kiara asked, catching Suisei.

“I’ll be alright when he’s dead!” Suisei shouted, tears freely flowing down her face.

“Same here,” Kiara said, brandishing her fire sword. “Let’s go.”

The two flew down. As Kiara let go if Suisei, she strafed to the left using wind magic while Kiara flew to the right. The two swung their weapons, aiming for the void’s neck. The void just sighed, grabbing both of them and crushing them in his hands, slamming the two of them together.

“You two will be the first casualties in this war, but you will not be the last,” the void said, charging an attack. “Now die.”

As he brought down his fist, something deflected it, causing him to recoil. He was then hit in the face by an invisible force, sending him sprawling. “What?!” The void stood up, angrily shouting. “Who is capable of hurting me?!”

“Hey,” to everyone’s surprised, it was Ryan’s voice that responded, but there was something off. It was as if the voice was layered or as if there was two of Ryan speaking at the same time. With a gust of wind, Ryan appeared in between Suisei, Kiara and the void. His right eye was purple while his left eye was his normal brown color as he held a black sword in his right hand and his usual white gun on his left. “Ya miss me?”

-

**Day 028.4: Victory**

“How the fu-,” The void was cut off when it was shot in the face by Ryan.

“It’s simple,” Ryan said as the void stood up. “I’m just better than you.”

“Ryan you idiot!” Suisei shouted, rubbing her head. “I thought you died!”

“My bad,” Ryan looked at Suisei, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “I couldn’t just let Ki- Tenchou die like that.”

“I would have come back to life!” Kiara shouted.

“Well I came back to life, right?” Ryan shrugged. “I don’t see the big de-.”

He was cut off when the void hit him over the head, its hand in the shape of a sledgehammer. “That’s what you get for being cocky.”

“Bitch, I can be as cocky as I want,” Ryan said, rocketing back and kicking the void in the face.

“Why the hell didn’t you use the sword?!” Ryan shouted, except it was only once voice. The voice sounded like Ryan, but it was different at the same time. Ruder… more aggressive. “Wait, I can talk on my own?”

“Jeez, Edhas, you didn’t have to shout,” Ryan said in his normal voice. “Is this the teamwork that Nux was talking about?”

“Damn straight,” Nux was suddenly next to Suisei and Kiara, his arms crossed and a huge smirk on his face. “It’s kind of like they’re synced, but not really.”

“What would happen if they fully synced?” Kiara asked, looking up at Nux.

“Then they’d be really fucking boring,” Nux scoffed.

A shadow soldier ran up behind Nux, but it was run over by a car. “Road trip!” Charlotte cheered. Charlotte was driving the car, Mary was sitting shotgun, and Mico and Patra were in the back.

“So that just happened,” Ryan said, both voices merging together again. “Whatever. Let’s just get back to the fight.”

“Your talking is insufferable!” The void shouted as both its hands turned into swords as it dashed for Ryan. Ryan held up his sword, blocking both of them, seeming slightly strained as the void grunted in effort.

“Should we help him?” Kiara asked, pointing at the scene before them.

“That stupid fucking dumbass piece of shit idiot can die for all I care,” Suisei pouted, crossing her arms. “Even my axe was destroyed.”

“I can make you a new one if you-,” Edhas’s sole voice was cut off by a kick in the gut.

“You deserved that,” Ryan grumbled as he stood up. “Now stop being a perv and get your head in the game.”

“This is hardly a game!” The void shouted, obviously outraged.

“Oh, but it’s a game to us,” Ryan’s voice merged again as he uppercutted the void into the air before slamming it back to the ground with his fist, “and it’s all too easy.”

“With both of them combined, I doubt the void has any chance of winning,” Storm and Shade stood next to Nux, both casually observing.

“Huh, I wouldn’t be surprised if the brat surpassed me,” Shade said.

“Edhas was already stronger than you the second he appeared,” Storm pointed out.

“He wasn’t, because he didn’t have anything to fight for,” Shade said, smirking underneath his mask. “Not that he has something, there isn’t a thing in the universe that can stop him.”

“Don’t get all warm and fuzzy on me, old man!” Edhas shouted as he stabbed down at the void with his sword, only for it to roll aside. As it did, Ryan aimed the gun point blank, and shot a giant laser that engulfed its entire body, causing it to scream in pain.

“This is impossible!” The void shouted, finding its way out of the laser.

“You know, it totally is,” Edhas said as he walked up to the void, putting a foot on its chest, “but it was also impossible for Ryan to get a girlfriend, yet here we are.”

“Wha-,” Before the void could finish its thought, it was stabbed through the face by Edhas, crumbling into dust.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Ryan said as he dispelled his weapons, his amethyst eye turning back to normal. “Well now that that’s done, I guess we can go party?”

“ _You_ aren’t going anywhere,” Suisei said as she walked up to Ryan, slapping him in the face. “You promised me you wouldn’t die!”

“Well I didn’t,” Ryan said, rubbing his cheek. Before he could continue to defend himself, Suisei pulled him into a hug.

“Just… don’t do something like that again, okay?” Suisei said, burying her head into Ryan’s chest.

“Whatever you say,” Ryan said, rubbing Suisei’s head.

“You did a good job,” Storm said, walking up to Ryan. “Here, a gift for your accomplishments.”

With a wave of Storm’s hand, Ryan felt a dark energy course into him, particularly into his eye. “What did you do?” Ryan asked.

“Your eye,” Suisei looked up. “It’s gray.”

“You now have access to the void’s power,” Storm explained.

“Didn’t I just… kill the void?” Ryan tilted his head.

“With it dead, I take over as the manifestation of the void,” Storm explained. “Rest assured, you won’t have to deal with something like this happen again.”

“Oh, I guess this has no use anymore then,” Fubuki said as she reverted back to her normal form, throwing away her void glasses as it dissipated into a black mist.

“Well, it looks like we have ourselves a happy ending,” Ryan said, looking upwards at the rising sun. “I guess all of this was worth it in the end.”

-

_30 years later_

“KIKKERIKIII~!” Takanashi-Calliope Ryan was jolted awake by her mother’s morning call at the crack of dawn. Today was his first day of work as a sixteen-year-old phoenix-reaper hybrid working at none other than a KFP. “Are you ready for today?”

“Do I really have to do this, mom?” Ryan groaned as he got up. “Why do I have to go and not big sis?”

“Amber has already started working as a Hololive talent,” Kiara explained, bonking Ryan on the head. “Since you can’t apply for Holostars for another two years, you’re stuck with me.”

“But why a KFP?” Ryan complained as he walked over to the mirror, looking into his purple eyes as he brushed his fiery orange hair, flames burning off his sleepwear and replacing them with a KFP uniform. “Why can’t I go with dad to work or something?”

“Son, if you can’t handle a simple KFP, you won’t be able to handle Calli’s job,” Kiara explained as she started to fuss over his hair and his clothes. “How about this. If you can beat my employee in a fight, then you can go with papa tomorrow, okay?”

“Fine, I’ll bury their ass,” Ryan grumbled before getting bonked on the head by Kiara.

“You better watch your fucking mouth when you’re around me!” Kiara said.

“But-,” Ryan cut himself off when he realized that there was no winning against his mom. “Yes, Mama Birb.”

-

“Man, this place is a fucking dump,” Ryan said as they crossed the threshold. In reality, it didn’t look all too different from a normal KFP, but Ryan wanted an excuse to be pissy. Kiara claims that he got that from Calli, but she grows at Kiara and denies it whenever Kiara brings it up.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kiara said, opening the door. “Welcome to KFP!”

“Oh, is your kid finally here?” A man’s voice was heard from the back room. A tall, bulky man walked out, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. The first thing that Ryan noticed that he had heterochromia, his left eye being gray and his right eye being brown. An odd combination, but Ryan had seen weirder things. He had a little stubble on his face and the bags under his eyes implied he hadn’t slept in days. He wore the same KFP uniform Ryan was, albeit a bit bigger and a bit worn out. The man lazily waved at Ryan and Kiara, shooting the two of them a tired smile. “What’s up? The name’s Ryan Shade.”

“You have the same name as me,” Ryan said. “I’m Takanashi-Calliope Ryan.”

“Of course he does, you doofus!” Kiara bonked Ryan on the head. “I named you after him!”

“Just call me Shade while you’re here,” The other Ryan said. “If the other one shows up… well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Shade,” Ryan bowed slightly.

“Now, Shade is going to be the one to train you,” Kiara said. “Now, if you excuse me, I’ll be waiting for my chicken.”

“What chicken?” Ryan tilted his head, looking at Shade.

“Tenchou trains people by forcing them to make chicken for her,” Shade explained.

“Figures.”

-

“God damn it!” Ryan shouted, throwing the empty tub aside in anger. “Why do I have to fucking do this?!”

“You’re doing great, kid,” Shade said, turning off the fryer and putting the fried chicken into a tub before picking up the one that Ryan threw. “Don’t worry about it. We all get pissed sometimes.”

“You know, Mama said that if I pounded your ass, then I can go with Papa to work tomorrow!” Ryan said.

“I guess she would do something like that, huh?” Shade heaved a sigh as he placed the tub on the counter. “Let’s go outside. I don’t want you to fuck up this place too badly.”

“Whatever,” Ryan grumbled as he followed Shade out of the back room.

“Wow, I expected him to challenge you an hour ago,” Kiara said, reading a steamy Calli x Kiara fanfiction. She smiled and closed the book as the two made their way outside. “I need to see this.”

“I don’t understand how Mama thinks you can win,” Ryan said as the two took opposite ends of the lot. “I can’t even detect any magic from you.”

“Well, it looks like I’m going to have to teach you a couple lessons then,” Shade said, no even caring to take his hands out of his pockets.

“I’ll burn you to ash!” Ryan summoned two knives and dashed at Shade, fire wings sprouting from his back. He took a swipe at Shade, but he dodged, kneeing Ryan’s face with blinding speed before kicking him in the gut, sending him sprawling.

“Huh, you’re pretty strong for a human,” Ryan said. “Let me show you my true power!”

With a shout, Ryan’s hair turned black and his eyes turned crimson, replacing his knives with a scythe. “Let’s see how you take this on!” Ryan’s fire wings turned black as he dashed for Shade multiple times faster than he did the first time. Shade just took one step to the side.

“That’s not going to work!” Ryan shouted, brandishing his weapon. At that moment, Ryan’s left eye started to glow and Ryan’s wings and scythe vanished, causing him to slam into the wall.

“What the hell was that?!” Ryan shouted, taking his head out of the wall.

“If you can control void energy well enough, you can use it to negate someone’s magic,” Shade explained. “I’m guessing you’re totally fucked now, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ryan heaved a sigh. Even though he was a bit of a brat, he knew when he was beat. “I’ll get back to the fryer.”

“Don’t be too rough on yourself, buddy,” Shade patted Ryan on the back. “You sure were better than me when I was sixteen.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said, looking up at Shade, seeing him in a whole new light.

-

“Man, that was a lot harder than I thought!” Ryan heaved a sigh of relief as he entered the break room.

“You’ll get used to it,” Ryan said. “You know, I was a lot like you when I started. I originally only got the job to make ends meet, but over the years, the people I’ve met here changed me into a better person.”

“Speaking of which, how _did_ you meet Mama Birb?” Ryan asked, tilting his head. “Better yet, how did a normal KFP worker get so strong?”

Suddenly, the door to the break room opened, Kiara and Calli walking in. “Mama?! Papa?!” Ryan flinched. Calli was often busy at work and almost never spent any time anywhere else other than home or work. “What are you doing here?!”

“Well, Ryan here was just about to tell his story, and he still hasn’t told me how he managed to cheat death all those times,” Calli grumbled. “Plus, I wanted to see my son on his first day at work.”

“Tenchou…” Shade gave Kiara an intimidating glare which caused even Calli to flinch.

“N-no! I knew you were here I swear!” Kiara held her hands up. Ryan had never seen his mother so scared, even when dad got mad, so seeing her act like this was something completely new. “I just wanted to hear you tell your story again!”

“Well, you all better take a seat,” Shade said, Calli and Kiara obliging as Ryan was already sitting down, “because this one’s a doozy.”

**-The End-**


End file.
